I'll Save Myself
by ermangel
Summary: King Henry VIII was a lustful man who had many mistresses. This is the tale of one of his many mistresses early in his life soon after his first daughter was born-a mistress that time itself has erased from its memory. Time travel, AU, Rated M. HenryXOC
1. Introduction

She was running through the deserted halls of the palace. The normally bustling halls were devoid of anyone at this hour- there weren't even any servants, which was strange.

Her torn gown rustled against the stone, her footsteps louder than she had ever heard them. Her breathing was uneven, but she knew she couldn't stop. She didn't have much time; he wouldn't be down for long.

'_Once chance... once chance...' _

She finally came to the crossroad in the corridor that she had been searching for. They each led to a safe haven. One way led to the chapel and the other led to the royal bedchambers. Each led to a potential savior, but he could only be in one of the two. If she chose wrong she wouldn't live to see the morning.

She contemplated her choice and tried to catch her breath, figuring that she had at least a minute or so before she needed to start again. Faint shouts began from where she had come, and she knew her time was up. He was coming, and she had only a few seconds to decide.

'_Only one choice. Once choice, one chance.'_

Her eyes fluttered shut for a brief second, then they snapped open. She took one final glance behind her, then sprinted to the left. She sent up a silent prayer that she had made the right decision and pushed through the door to the King's bedchambers.

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**So, what do you think? It's a story that I've been working on for a while, and I just now decided to upload it. It's an excerpt from later on in the story. Comment and let me know!  
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	2. The Device

**I was pleased to see the response to this story. It makes me smile to see how many hits my first story got-thank you all so much! Please enjoy this chapter, and I'm already hard at work on the next one.**

**The Tudors belong to their respective time period, but so far there is no need for a disclaimer. I promise there will be Tudor action in the next chapter. To answer an anonymous review: Yes. Queen Catherine will be a part of this story. How big of a part I'm not sure, but she will be a part. Let me know what you think if you'd like.

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"Mike, leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you, see you, or hear from you again, understand? Just stop calling me! I've had enough."

Gina snapped her cell phone shut and glared at the inoffensive chunk of plastic in her hand. Why couldn't her ass of an ex just leave her alone? She had told him to stop calling her and had blocked his number, but he just kept calling from other phones.

She sighed and slipped her phone into her pocket.

'_Guess I'll just have to get a new number. Again.'_

She unconsciously ran her hands through her fire-red hair. She recently had it cut to her shoulder, and she was still uncertain about it. At least it was straight; she didn't think there were enough hours in the day for her to bother with her hair when she had fifty-million other things to do.

_**Whrrrr clang Clang bam Bam BAM!**_

Gina looked to the wall to her left, annoyed at the sounds coming from her neighbor's apartment. She stalked to her front door, slid the chain out, and flung her door open wide.

"STEVE! I'm trying to get some work done in here! What the hell are you doing?"

The sounds stopped and the door next to hers opened. A dust-covered head popped out and looked over at her.

"Gina? I didn't know you were home. I'm sorry for disturbing you, I'll try to keep it down."

Gina sighed.

"No, I'm sorry. I guess I'm a little flustered from that last phone call..."

She glanced back towards her answering machine where the little numbers blinked ominously at her. She wasn't looking forward to checking it.

Steve nodded apologetically, gray eyes sparkling in the bright fluorescent light with pity and understanding.

"Mike again, eh? I'm sorry that creep doesn't know how to take no for an answer. If you need anything, anything _at all_, you just let me know, you hear?"

Gina shook her head.

"It's alright, really. I've got it under control. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Thank you for the offer, though. I really do appreciate it. I'm sorry about yelling, I really didn't mean to aim that at you. What are you working on now?"

He got a dreamy look on his face and pushed his work glasses up onto his chocolate brown hair. He began to detail his latest invention, but she only caught about a quarter of what he said. She really wasn't scientifically minded, and her thoughts were still otherwise occupied.

"...but it should be done in another couple of hours. If you'd like to come over then I can show you what I'm talking about in more detail then."

"Sounds great, Steve. I can't wait. I have a few things to do around here, but when I'm finished I'll be over to check it out. Promise."

She gave him a short smile and bid him goodbye for the moment. He looked at her a little longer than usual, as if he was trying to memorize what she looked like before waving and retreating back to his cluttered apartment.

Gina shook her head and smiled lightly again. She turned back to her apartment and closed the door firmly behind her, making sure to turn the deadbolt and slide the chain home. After all, a woman has to have some security when she lives alone, no matter who lives next door; plus Mike had her all shaken up still.

She took a deep breath to steel her nerves and glared at her answering machine again. The little numbers blinked up at her innocently as if they had never delivered a bad message, and as if there weren't two more waiting for her. She popped the tape out and unplugged it- she really didn't want to hear Mike's voice again today. She dug her cell out of her pocked and turned it off. She set it on the table and headed for the bedroom.

She had planned on working on some paperwork in the kitchen but she was thinking that a nice long soak would be much more relaxing, and was much more needed. She stripped down in the bedroom and left the door to the bathroom open as she ran the water and grabbed her book from the ledge near the sink. She settled down into the steaming water and sighed.

She opened her book and began to work her way through the chapter that she had started this morning in bed, but she began to drift off. She dropped the book onto the floor as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

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Three hours later she jerked awake to a tub full of cold water and her doorbell ringing.

"Shit!"

She jumped out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel, running her fingers through her hair as she padded to the door.

"Who is it?"

She glanced through her peephole and saw Steve glancing around, obviously nervous. He leaned toward the door and knocked again.

"It's Steve. I tried to call, but you didn't answer your phone..."

Gina heaved yet another sigh and unlocked her door. She opened it wide and stepped aside.

"Come on in. Sorry, I turned my phones off and I fell asleep in the bathtub... which would explain the towel."

Steve grinned and looked away. He had been staring, and she knew it. He stepped hesitantly inside.

"I'll wait for you to get dressed. That is, if you still wanted to come over... I wasn't sure what time you wanted to come over, but I have some places I need to be in about a little while, so..."

Gina nodded her head and shut the door behind him.

"I really do want to see it. Just give me a couple of minutes. It won't take me long to get dressed, and I'll be right over, or you can feel free to stay here and wait if you'd like."

Steve looked her over appraiseingly once more and grinned up at her.

"I'll wait here. I won't peek, promise."

Gina rolled her eyes and brushed past him. She turned and gave him a pointed look when she reached her bedroom door.

"Stay."

Steve grinned and crooked his head.

"You know I was just kidding, Gina. Go ahead, take as long as you need. I'll be right here when you're ready."

She looked at him for another second then backed into her room and closed her door. She glanced at her mess of a closet and took a deep breath.

'_What should I even wear for this? It's not a date, and there's really not anywhere else I'm going tonight. I guess I can go to the club afterwards for a while...'_

Gina flipped through her hangers and selected an off-white button-down dress shirt and loose grey pants. She threw on her underwear and her selection for the night and looked herself over in her bedroom mirror. She nodded approvingly and slipped into the bathroom. She swiped on some mascara and eyeliner, smoothed on some dark lip gloss and ran a brush through her damp hair. She stared into her sea green eyes and smiled at herself. She was ready for anything.

She smoothed her shirt and readjusted herself as she walked to her door and flung it open. She looked for Steve, but all she saw was her open door.

'_I suppose I took too long for him. Strange that he left the door open... maybe he just went to check on something real quick.'_

Gina sauntered to her front door and looked over at her neighbor's door. It too was open, and there was a faint light spilling out into the hallway. She pulled her door shut behind her and poked her head around the doorway.

"Steve? Sorry I took so long. I didn't mean to keep you waiting... Are you in here? Hello?"

She stepped inside hesitantly. The light shown from what she assumed was the kitchen, seeing as the apartments all had the same basic layout. She picked her way over boards and piles of twisted metal.

"Steve, are you in the kitchen?"

She peered into the room and saw a device the size of a kitchen table sitting in the middle of it. There was a figure on the other side of it, crouched down low.

"Steve?"

A whirring noise began to emit from the machine.

"Who's in here?"

She stepped closer as the noise became louder and the light became brighter.

"Who is that? I'm going to call the police. What did you do to Steve?"

The figure straitened up and looked towards her, but all she could see was a shadowy silhouette. The figure seemed to look at her.

"What's going on in here? Come on, this is serious. Who the hell are you?"

The noise seemed to hit it's peak and wind began to whip throughout the room. The bright light began to flicker. Gina turned to run from the room, and the last thing she saw was Steve tied up on his couch across the room before she began to fall backwards and everything went black.


	3. Found in Time

**Thank you for the positive response to the first chapter. Finally we're getting into some Tudor action! Henry was so drool-worthy in the first couple of seasons... =) Please enjoy this next chapter, and remember; feedback is always welcome! If you don't have any constructive criticism, please remember that even an "I thought it was remarkably similar to a pile of elephant dung" is welcome. Although that sounds like disgusting... (and I may cry a little) XD**

**Disclaimer: Any similarities between my story and the Tudors is purely coincidental - this story takes place before the show began. Any references to the story belong to Showtime and the writers of The Tudors as well. **

King Henry the eighth was celebrating the birth of his daughter. This celebration was nowhere near the grand event it would have been if his wife had born him a son, but he had decided that there should be some sort of event.

The hunt had been planned for his closest advisers and friends, but also to keep his mind off the fact that this was his second daughter to be born, not to mention the three sons that had been born before them. All four of his children were dead, gone to the grave before reaching their first year; some not even making it out of the womb.

So although his hopes were not high, the birth of a princess warranted a celebration no matter the size. If she made it through her first year, a lavish banquet would be prepared in her honor - in honor of Princess Mary Tudor, his only living heir to-date.

Henry ran a hand through his wind-tousled hair and spurred his steed onward. His men were slow - too slow for him, anyway. He was not tired from the day of hunting and drinking and he was eager to reach the castle. A storm was brewing and he was in no mood to ride in a downpour.

As he rode, Henry thought of what awaited him at court. His wife, the Queen was still abed recovering from childbirth. His week-old daughter was being cared for by her wet nurse. In a separate part of the castle all together his mistress lay, awaiting him. Her majesty's lady, Christina.

Lady Christina had been sent from eastern Europe for a marriage to one of the King's men, a duke or something of the like. Henry didn't care what she was here for or to whom she was to belong to - he was the King, and no man dared to question his actions or desires.

However, whatever the case she would be married within the month. He would only allow himself the joys of her flesh until then. He would allow anyone who cared to know to think that he wouldn't cross the line of holy matrimony, but the reality of the situation was her husband would most likely want to leave court and he didn't care to order them to remain. He was sure that they would return eventually, but it didn't matter to him as such. He was looking for short and sweet in his affairs, and that's exactly what this had promised to be.

As he was lost in his thoughts he didn't notice the rumbling that began up ahead. His horse began to shy away from the tremor, but he urged it onward still, thinking it nothing but a minor shifting of the earth. Suddenly a series of bright flashes of light and a loud crash occurred, and Henry could no longer control his horse. The beast reared up and the king went flying into some nearby brush. He leapt to his feet and watched as his horse galloped away at full speed.

"Damn horse! Spooked by a bit of lightning. Coward!"

Henry glared in the direction that the beast had run and grimaced. The only good thing about this moment was the fact that his men were all a few minutes behind him. If his men had seen him thrown from his horse like that... as if he were a mere neophyte, as if he were not the King of England with years of riding and controlling his steed. His pride was too much of an asset for that.

Henry brushed himself off and studied his surroundings. It had seemed that the lightning had struck just north of where he was standing, and he intended on finding out what had happened. If there was a fire he needed to know so he could get his men to control it so it would stay away from the castle.

He reached the area where he was sure that he would find a fire or at least scorched ground. There was no fire, but it seemed as if something had fallen out of a tree. There were branches and debris in a small clearing, and it looked as if whatever had fallen had hit the ground just to the east of it. He stepped over the debris and drew closer to the area where he thought something may have landed.

Henry's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him. The body of a young woman lay on the ground just meters in front of him. He stepped closer yet and could see the slow but steady rise and fall of her breasts. She wore a man's shirt, but it was unlike any shirt he had seen before. It fit to her upper body as if it were made for her. Her legs were covered in a grey cloth that also seemed as if they should belong to a man. Her feet were bare, and her clothing was torn all over showing golden skin in patches.

Henry knelt at her side and looked her over closer. There were cuts and bruises all over her body but the most severe wound was on the back of her head. It seemed as if she had hit her head on a rock, and there was a small puddle of blood pooling around her head.

He stood and contemplated carrying the woman back to the castle when he heard the sounds of his hunting party coming closer. He stepped back into the clearing.

"Gentlemen!"

He heard the sounds of the dogs baying and could tell that they were on their way to him. The thought made him smile - at least the dogs knew the sound of their master's voice. The men reached the clearing seconds after the dogs and dismounted their horses.

The men bowed to their King. Charles Brandon stepped forward and bowed low.

"My Lord. May I ask why we have stopped so near to home?"

Henry smiled and gestured for his men to straighten up.

"Charles. Yes, of course. I heard a noise and I came to investigate. When I dismounted my horse he bolted. I'm not sure what drove him away, but I found the most interesting thing just to the east there. A woman, and she's in need of an apothecary. I'll need your horse to bring her back to court."

Charles knelt by the woman and took in her injuries.

"Yes of course, your Majesty. By all means, take my steed. He's quick, and he'll get you back the fastest. I'll ride back on another."

Henry gestured for two other men to step forward. he instructed them to lift the woman carefully and mounted Charles' horse. The men handed the woman to the King. Once she was secure he stirred the horse and pushed it onward toward the safety and warmth of his home.


	4. Awake

**Hey guys! I loved the amount of traffic my story has gotten! It makes me smile. =) Thank you to those who left a review! Alright, enough with the exclamation marks. Please enjoy this chapter of ****I'll Save Myself**** and if you feel like leaving a review I would be forever in your debt.**

**You know the drill. Any similarities to Showtime's hit series The Tudors belongs solely to them and to their writers. Lady Christina and Lady Gina are mine. Liam O'Connor is loosely based off of Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: they belong to Joss Whedon.

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King Henry stalked through the corridors. He was in a particularly foul mood, and everyone around him knew it. He glared at a grouping of men several paces in front of him and watched as they scattered. He didn't know where he was headed at the moment, but he knew he had to go somewhere to get away from his thoughts. Usually he would go to his mistress of the moment, but he couldn't today.

His most recent mistress had been married earlier that day. Lady Christina was now Lady O'Connor; her husband Liam had whisked her away to his home in Northern England after the ceremony, obviously jealous of the King's claim on her.

Henry had been preoccupied with other matters for the past few days and had not had the time to find a suitable replacement as of yet. His wife was well enough to leave her child birthing chambers and had been spending all of her time with their young daughter, but she was nowhere near able to lay with him as of yet. She was optimistic about Mary and was trying to convince Henry to be as well. He had been avoiding her.

If he was being completely honest, these were not the only things that had kept him busy. Just under a week ago he had found the girl in the forrest. He still wasn't sure who she was, but he had his physicians working on her. He had brought her in that night in the rain and rushed her to his own rooms. The physicians had been called and they had patched her up as well as they could.

It had been six days, and she was still not conscious. He had her moved the next day from his rooms to a small room near the servants chambers. He only checked on her twice since then; he didn't want anyone to be suspicious. He wanted to speak to her before anyone else did. Henry swore the doctors to secrecy under penalty of being locked in the tower. Her strange clothing was just one of the strange things he found on her. There was a vivid picture of a bird on her back right shoulder-blade unlike any he had ever seen. He had never seen one on a woman, that's for sure.

Her hair was cut unnaturally short, and in a style that was not common to his kingdom or to any that he had seen before. She wore jewels and gold that were smaller than the normal royal woman would wear, but it was obvious that she had to be royalty. No common woman could afford custom clothing or jewelry of the quality that she wore.

Henry found himself outside of the Queen's rooms. He looked at the door for a moment and was about to enter when Charles Brandon came rushing around the corner.

"Your majesty!"

Henry met Charles halfway down the corridor, safely away from the Queen's door. Charles glanced around and leaned in close to the king's ear.

"My lord, she had awaken. The physicians just informed me and I came straight to you."

Henry clapped a hand onto his friend's shoulder and nodded.

"Thank you Charles. I wish to speak with her. If anyone has need of me while I am occupied, divert them and alert me to it at once."

Charles nodded and bowed to his king as Henry walked back toward the servants chambers.

He came to the door and was about to enter when the door opened and he was nearly knocked to the ground. He was about to put the knave in his place when something inside the room caught his eye.

The woman was standing in front of the bed that she had been on, fire in her eyes. There were several items strewn about the room as if someone had been throwing things at someone else. The young physician that had nearly pushed him down was now cowering behind the door. The woman began to walk forward then stopped abruptly, crouching down and picking up a candle-holder. She glared toward the man who stood in the door.

"This is the last time I'll ask. Who are you and where am I? I'm sick of this nonsense."

The King chuckled at the vision in front of him.

"My lady, please. Set the...weapon down and I'll answer any questions you may wish to ask."

She glared again at the man.

"Why should I? Give me one good reason."

Henry could tell that he would soon lose patience with the woman. He drew himself up to his full height and stepped into the room.

"Because, madam, I am the King of England. You will obey me, or you will suffer the consequences."

She stared at him for a moment, then burst into a fit of laughter. Henry was baffled at her behavior, and a little angry. She collapsed to the floor and shook with laughter.

"Y-you're the... the K-k-k-king... of... England! Oh, of course. I have to admit, it's a new one. I don't think I've heard that one before."

Henry grasped the woman's arm, pulled her to her feet, and shook her by the shoulders.

"Do you think this is a joke, wench? Who do you think you are?"

He threw her back onto the bed and she stared at him with wide eyes. She finally took him in fully, slowly working her way up from his feet to his face. He loomed above her, glaring down at the young woman who seemed to be catching on.

"What is your name?"

She looked at him as if she didn't know what he had said. She looked confused.

"My name? I..."

Her eyes widened in panic. She started to breath erratically and her hand flew to her chest. Henry knelt by her bed and grasped her other hand.

"Are you well? What's happening?"

The woman shook her head and gasped for air.

"Panic... attack."

Henry looked confused. He stood and sat next to her on the bed.

The woman began to calm down as Henry stroked his hand up and down her spine soothingly. She took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes as she composed herself. She looked over at the King and shook her head lightly.

"I... I think... I'm just not sure. I think something with a G... Gel.. Gen... Gina? I think my name is Gina."

"Gina? Alright... Gina. Where did you come from?"

That's when the tears began. She began to sob, shaking violently. She threw herself into his arms and cried for what seemed like hours. It really was only a few minutes, but it seemed to last forever. Henry looked at her in shock for the first few moments, then attempted to comfort her. She began to calm down and the shaking changed to shudders, then stopped all together. Gina took a shuttering breath.

"I don't remember. I don't remember anything about where I was or where I come from. I don't know how I got here. I don't even know where here is! Where am I? Please."

Henry placed his hand gently on her face.

"You're at Greenwich Castle, one of my many homes. We are in England. You're safe here."

Gina sniffed and stood. She walked to the window at glanced out.

"I don't recognize anything. Nothing looks even vaguely familiar... I feel like I'm not even in the right time."

Henry was a little confused at her words, but he ignored it for the time being. Memory loss was a strange thing, and he didn't know much about it. He stood and walked to her. He touched her shoulder lightly and she spun to look at him.

Her eyes sparkled with tears still as she pleaded with him silently. He didn't know what he could do other than make her feel as comfortable as possible here at court. He lifted a hand to her fiery hair and smoothed it. It was soft as silk and his hand traveled the length too quickly. It was only shoulder length, and straighter than he usually saw in his court. He was transfixed staring at her when she cleared her throat.

"Uh, King Henry? I... I should probably change into something else. My clothes are kind of ruined, but I don't know if I have anything to change into..."

Henry chuckled.

"I don't think you'll find anything quite like what you have on now in this realm. I'll send someone for some proper clothing and they'll help you dress. When you're done you'll follow my good friend Charles Brandon to Queen Catherine's rooms, where I will be to explain your situation."

Gina nodded and looked back to the window for a second. She glanced back at the King and smiled lightly.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for being an inconvenience to you... but I really do appreciate the help. What should I do around people here?"

Henry glanced out the window, then back to her.

"You'll catch on soon enough. Keep your head down and don't speak unless spoken to. It'll be alright."

He touched her cheek again and smiled lightly. He turned and walked out of the door, issuing his orders to the still frightened physician who scurried off to do as he was told. Henry glanced back and saw Gina staring out the window again. He watched her for a few more moments, then turned and walked back towards the Queen's chambers for the second time that day.

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** Thank you, and I hope you liked this chapter! Let me know what you thought!**


	5. Taking a Dip

**Hey guys! I'm back with the next chapter. Proud of me? XD Thank you to those of you who reviewed, especially my favorite reader, Lady Christina O'Connor! (She's my sister, I have to love her the most. ;D ) Please enjoy this chapter, made especially for all of you amazing people out there who have added this story to their alert lists.**

**Alright, you all know by now that I don't own any references to the Tudors on Showtime. Gina and the storyline belong to me, but that's pretty much it.

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Gina sat with the other ladies-in-waiting, picking at her gown. She wasn't sure why, but these dresses just didn't feel right. She felt like she was wearing way too many layers of clothing and it was uncomfortable. The material was far rougher than that of the shirt and pants she had woken in a little over a week ago.

She had tried to convince the man who brought her the dress and everything else she was wearing to find something closer to that material, but he insisted that there was nothing like it in all of his materials.

Gina huffed at the memory and stood abruptly; accidentally knocking the stool she had been perched. Her cheeks bloomed into a light shade of scarlet. Some of the ladies looked at her, some kept their heads down. Queen Catherine looked at her for a moment then stood as well. The rest of her ladies leapt to their feet and curtsied low. Gina made yet another attempt at it, but she still didn't have the hang of it yet. She was sure it would come to her; she hoped, anyways. The Queen motioned towards the door to another of her rooms.

"Lady Gina, join me for a moment."

Gina followed her into the room and the doors shut behind her. She glanced nervously at Catherine, still not sure what to do in this private situation. She toyed with the lace at the edge of her sleeve, trying to relax.

It had been over a week since Henry had brought Gina to Catherine and introduced her as a daughter of a nobleman from somewhere in the Eastern countries. She had skin very much akin to Lady Christina, so he had figured that she was also from one of those nations. Christina had been informed of the strange new woman and had seen her while Gina was still unconscious to back up the story that they were acquaintances and that she had been sent to England to recover after a tragic accident that had cost her memory, which wasn't far from the truth; although she had regained something the day before. She recognized her last name, and with it came a strong sense of right. She knew that her name was Gina Mohr.

Queen Catherine sat at a seat near her fireplace and motioned for Gina to sit in a chair opposite hers. Gina sat and looked at the fire for a moment, then turned her attention to the Queen. She waited for what seemed an eternity when the Queen finally turned her attention to the woman seated before her.

"Lady Gina, how did you sleep last night? Have you regained anything of your past?"

She had been hopeful after the memory she had gained the day before, but Gina looked at her hands and shook her head sadly.

"I feel as if everything I need to know is right there, under the surface. I just can't reach it… I get flashes of things, but they are very different from what is around us now. Last night I had another dream, but it was the same as it has been the last few nights. A dark room, a bright light, a man, a loud noise, and then a sensation of falling… I just wish I had more to tell you and the King."

Queen Catherine glanced back to the fire for a couple of seconds before speaking again.

"The King wishes for me to help you learn the ways of our court. He would like for me to formally introduce you to him at the banquet tomorrow evening. Do you feel you are prepared for this?"

Gina stilled, panicking in her mind. She raised her hand to her chest, grabbing onto the small necklace she wore. It was small compared to the jewelry that the rest of the court wore, but she couldn't bring herself to remove it. It felt like it was part of her. She took a few calming breaths and looked at the Queen straight in the eyes.

"If you think I'm ready, I will go anywhere you wish."

Catherine looked satisfied with that answer and motioned to the guard standing at the door. He came forward and bowed low.

"Please inform the King that Lady Gina will be presented to him tonight. Send for a maid to collect the Lady's gown for the banquet and tell her that she will dress here and help me prepare for the banquet."

He bowed low again and left the room. Lady Gina stared at the door, shocked.

"I'm sorry if this question is out of line, but I thought you said it was tomorrow night. Why tonight? I don't know if I-"

"Lady Gina. I believe you are ready for this. Remember what you've been instructed on, and there should not be a problem. You will do fine, and the King will be pleased that you have become acclimated to our court so quickly. Now you are dissmissed until it is time to prepare for the banquet."

Queen Catherine stood and Gina followed suit. She curtsied as low as she could and before she left she glanced at the Queen to see how she had done. Catherine smiled lightly and nodded approvingly. With that Gina left through the same door she had come in and escaped quickly through the corridors to a door that led outdoors and ultimately to the gardens.

In the past week Gina had spent a lot of time alone in the gardens, trying to remember what she had forgotten. It gave her a headache most of the time but she couldn't stop trying, especially after the breakthrough the day before. She walked toward the small pond surrounded by tall hedges. It was her favorite spot on the grounds that she had been to so far. There was a spot on the far bank that had a few bushes that formed a nice place to sit and put her feet in the water without being seen by anyone unless they were standing directly across from her. She reached it, lifted her skirts and stepped into the water, wading a few feet in before sloshing back to her hideout. It was the perfect place to get some peace and quiet. She wasn't completely certain, but she thought that she had never been surrounded by quite so many people wherever she had been before as she was now, and she hadn't even been introduced to the whole of the court yet.

Gina lay back onto the soft grass and let her knees hang off the edge so her feet could stay in the water. She watched as a few clouds made their way lazily across the sky and grinned to herself, content. This was the nicest day since she had woken up and the clouds in the sky were fluffy white, unlike the stormy grey ones that had blown through in the last few days. They hadn't turned to storms, but she still preferred this to that. The sunshine warmed her and she started to go through what she was supposed to say and do that night. The King and Queen believed that she wouldn't embarrass them, and she was determined to do everything right. As she went through scenarios in her mind the sounds of birds chirping and the water sloshing against the ground became the only sounds around her. Her eyes drifted shut and soon she was fast asleep.

* * *

King Henry was growing restless. He had been informed by one of the Queen's men that Catherine would be formally introducing Lady Gina to the court that night instead of tomorrow, and he was anxious for the moment. He hadn't seen her for more than a few seconds in the last week and even then it was just glimpses when he chanced to look out the window while she was in the gardens walking toward the pond. He noticed that she seemed to spend a large portion of her time there. Not long after the man had brought his message and left, Henry was at the window again, ignoring the two men arguing about some inane subject which he didn't actually care about, when he saw Gina disappear into the gardens. He stared a moment before making up his mind to follow her and see how she was before the banquet that night.

Henry turned his attention back to the men and excused himself. He was becoming annoyed with them anyways. The walk to the gardens took him longer than he thought it would, with all of the people stopping him to ask him questions for which it seemed he had to answer. His answers were short and he excused himself from conversations before they could really start.

After what seemed to be hours he finally reached the pond's edge. He glanced around but did not see Gina anywhere. He began to walk around the pond and he just happened to glance across it at just the right spot. There was Lady Gina, laying on the ground in the middle of a grouping of shrubs with her feet and the bottom of her dress in the water. He smiled lightly to himself and began the short walk to the other side of the pond, intent on sneaking up on her. As he neared the bushes he quieted his steps. He glanced over one of them and saw that her eyes were closed and she seemed to be fast asleep. He straightened up and his small smile grew to a grin. He had an idea.

Henry pulled his shoes off and stepped into the pond. He slowly made his way to where Gina's feet dangled and once he was in position he grabbed her knees and began to pull her the rest of the way into the water.

Gina awoke with a start as she felt herself being dragged into the water. Her eyes jolted wide and she opened her mouth to let out a scream as her hands automatically grabbed for anything to hold her ground. Her left leg reared up and out of the grip of whomever had a hold of her and she kicked out blindly, looking up at her hands which had found the base of a bush. Her foot came in contact with someone's chest, and she put her full force into a kick that sent the person into the water. She pulled herself fully back up to the shore and grabbed her shoes. Her dress caught in the bushes as she tried to run through them, and she swore loudly. Once she had yanked herself free she took off and only stumbled a couple of times. She didn't look back to see who she had escaped from, she just ran for the entrance to the garden. In her fight or flight response she only had so much fight in her.

Henry sputtered and spit as he burst out of the water. He couldn't believe that a woman had gotten the best of him, especially a woman who had been sleeping! He heard the rustle of a gown and heard her swear loudly. He saw her running and then she disappeared back towards the castle. He slapped the water in frustration and waded back to the shore. He sat on the ground and stared at the spot where she had been moments before. She was strong and spirited. He had yet to decide if it was a quality he liked about her, but he couldn't deny that at the moment he was extremely attracted to the red-haired girl. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. He should have been angry, humiliated even, but he was amused. She could take care of herself that was for sure.

Gina stopped inside the castle to catch her breath. She didn't know who had grabbed her, but her main concern was the fact that someone had cared enough to do something like that. It had to be someone she had met, even in passing. No one else really knew her. They knew of her but that was another point all together. She settled down and smoothed the front of her gown. She slid her shoes back on and headed back to the Queen's rooms to prepare for dinner.

* * *

Three hours later Gina was wearing yet another gown that she could barely breathe in and her hair was curled slightly. The curling had taken forever, but the other ladies said that it was worth it. Gina was now attending to the Queen, and they were almost ready to go down to the feast. She arranged Catherine's crown on her head and fixed her long black hair so it lay perfectly. She looked her work over proudly and curtsied low, standing back to wait for her orders.

Catherine looked herself over and seemed satisfied. She stood and gave her ladies a nod, then gave Gina a small reassuring smile. They followed her out of her rooms and to the great hall where the feast was going to be held, where the rest of the court was waiting for their Queen.

Henry stood near his chair, speaking with several men. He was only slightly interested in the small talk that was going on around him; his mind was still on that afternoon. He smiled lightly to himself thinking of the shock he had felt when her foot had come in contact with his chest and the feeling of disbelief when he was shoved back into the water. He wouldn't speak of it to anyone, but it still made him grin. He excused himself from the group of men and looked to the door. Seconds later it opened and the Queen made her entrance.

Queen Catherine came through the door, silently demanding the attention of the court, and they all gave it to her. Her very presence was demanding, although not imposing. Everyone bowed or curtsied low to their Queen, and Henry stepped forward to welcome her. He gave her a low bow to which she responded with an equally low curtsy. He took her hand, kissed it, and pulled her up to stand. He led her to her seat and stood next to her.

Catherine smiled at her husband. Everyone could see the love in her eyes. She gestured to her ladies, and one with short red hair stepped forward and curtsied low. Henry smiled lightly at this and turned to his wife. Catherine gestured for Gina to stand and held her hand out towards her.

"My lord, I would like to present my newest lady-in-waiting, Lady Gina Mohr."

Henry nodded his head at her and held his hand out for hers. She didn't hesitate to place her small hand in his and curtsied again while he brushed a soft kiss on her knuckles. When she straightened up he gave her a small smile.

"Welcome to my home, Lady Gina. I hope you have found everything to your liking?"

Gina blushed lightly at all the eyes she could feel on her. She wasn't comfortable in a crowd yet, and this was nearly over whelming. She took a deep calming breath for the umpteenth time and nodded.

"Yes, majesty. Everything has been wonderful. Thank you for your hospitality."

The Queen nodded in approval to the woman to show her that she was doing fine, which caused Gina to break out in a smile. Henry was enthralled by her smile.

"Lady Gina, would you do us the honor of dining with us tonight?"

Gina knew this was coming; the Queen had warned her that she would most likely be seated in the guest of honor's seat next to the King. She nodded and joined the royal couple behind their table. Henry helped his wife into her seat first then helped Gina. He sat down between the women and gestured to a servant.

"Let the feast begin!"

* * *

Hours later the plates were long since cleared and everyone was excusing themselves. The Queen stood and her ladies stood with her. Henry stood with her and whispered something in her ear. Catherine's eyes shot to Gina and after a short pause she nodded to him. He bowed to her as she walked out of the room followed by all of the ladies except for one. Gina had tried to follow her, but he had grasped her arm and led her in the opposite direction down the corridor, intent on speaking to her away from the gossiping hoard they had been in front of all night. He led her to a small sitting room and sat her down in a chair. He settled in across from her and smiled lightly.

"Lady Gina, how has this past been for you? I noticed you have a last name. Moore, is it?"

Gina smiled lightly and shook her head.

"I believe you mean Moore as in your friend Thomas Moore. My last name is M-o-h-r, though it sounds very much like the same thing."

Henry looked at her questioningly.

"How do you know of Thomas? He isn't even here at court."

Gina looked startled. She hadn't thought before speaking, and she hadn't thought of what she was saying until he said something. She felt like her head was spinning as she tried to remember how she knew that name, but nothing came to her.

"I… I don't know how I knew that. I guess I just knew it. Is he well known? Perhaps I heard his name in conversation."

The King accepted her answer with a nod of his head. He smiled lightly at the girl who seemed prone to panic attacks. He certainly didn't want her to have one of those again; it had been uncomfortable enough the last time for the both of them.

"I'm sure that's how you know of him. He is one of my most trusted friends, but he lives at his home outside of court with his family."

Gina's eyes went from wide back to a normal size and he grinned again.

"So I noticed you have been spending a good deal of time in the gardens. Did you have a chance to visit them today?"

Her cheeks burned a bright scarlet for the millionth time that day and she nodded.

"Yes. I find the pond to be an excellent place to think. I found a nice little spot to think where I've been spending a couple of hours a day and it's been wonderful, but today I was interrupted. You see, I sort of fell asleep out there, which I know isn't a very good idea, but I did all the same."

He stared at her, amused.

"You don't say."

She tried to push down the feeling of embarrassment that she felt and took a deep breath.

"I thought the spot I had found was well enough hidden, but someone saw me sleeping today. I don't know who, but whoever it was came over, got into the water, and tried to pull me in! I don't know why someone would do that, but I woke and kicked them into the water. I ran after that in a panic, and I nearly passed out once I got back to the castle, but I made it back. I don't know who would do such a thing! I think it may have been a man; he was very strong, but I don't think he expected me to fight back. After my accident or whatever happened to me I just… I was so afraid."

Henry's eyes widened. In all of this he hadn't even thought of that. She may have been attacked by men on the road and left for dead in the forest for all he knew, and he had in all essence attacked her that afternoon. He hadn't even thought of that before he had jumped in the water and grabbed her.

"Lady Gina, I must apologize. I saw you go into the garden the last few days, and I wished to speak with you today before you were formally introduced to court. I followed you out with the intention of speaking to you, but you were asleep, so I thought I would wake you. I suppose I went about it in the wrong way, and for that I am sorry."

Gina stared in shock at him and unconsciously edged away from him. She was partially furious that he would do such a thing, and partially horrified that she had kicked the King of England into a pond. She wasn't sure which one was more prominent, though.

"You! It was you? I've spent the entire day thinking someone was around the corner, waiting to jump me, and it was _you_?"

Henry saw her horrified face and misunderstood it.

"I promise you, you are in no danger. I didn't mean to frighten you."

She shook her head and stood abruptly, walking to the window and looking down to the garden.

"I'm not worried about being in danger from you. I haven't felt safer than when I was with you since I woke up. I just can't believe it was you that I kicked into the water! I'm so sorry!"

She looked back to where he sat, eyes pleaded with him to not be angry with her. He shook his head and stood to walk to her side. He lifted his had to her hair and stroked it lightly. It was as soft as he remembered. He gave her a small smile and took her hand in his.

"It's alright. I'm glad you have some fight in you; maybe if something like that happens again you'll be able to get yourself to safety if I'm not there to protect you from it."

Gina's look turned to a questioning one.

"Why would you be there?"

She leaned in closer to him, taking in the sweet spicy scent of him. She reveled in the closeness and comfort she felt being in this sort of proximity to him. He smiled down at her and took a small step forward, running his hand up her arm to her shoulder and placing his other hand on the side of her head, cradling it. Her eyes fluttered shut and her breathing increased again, but this time in excitement instead of fear. He leaned in towards her face and placed his cheek against hers and whispered to her.

"_You intrigue me. I've never met a woman like you, Gina. You are truly one of a kind."_

His lips touched her jaw lightly and worked their way to her lips. She melted into his kiss. It was short and sweet, and when he pulled away he wanted more. He pulled her into him and kissed her with more passion. She returned it with equal passion, and his hand traveled from her shoulder down her back. His mouth traveled to her neck, and she moaned lightly. When his hand reached her hip he pulled her even closer, and she felt his arousal. Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away suddenly. Her eyes were filled with panic again and she backed away quickly, knocking over yet another chair on her way.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I have to… I'm sorry."

She turned and fled from the chambers with the same kind of speed she had run from the pond earlier that day. He stared at her in confusion.

"Damn it!"

He couldn't believe she had left like that. Was she not attracted to him? He was sure by the way she had responded to him that she was, but she had jumped from him as if he had hit her.

He kicked the chair she had knocked over on her mad dash out and stormed into his bedchambers.

* * *

**So, longer chapter! I think I fit everything in here I wanted to… Hope you enjoyed the story, and I would like to encourage you all to take half a second and review. It doesn't have to be in depth, or even more than a few words, but I would really appreciate it! Thank you for reading!**


	6. Break Down

**Here it is! I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope you'll enjoy this one just as much (if not more!) than the last!**

**Any similarities to Showtime's Tudors belongs to them, not to me.

* * *

**

Gina was sitting with the other ladies eating supper. She squirmed in her seat as she felt his eyes on her yet again. She knew he was looking at her, but she refused to return his gaze. She forced a laugh at the witless jokes coming from the woman across from her and then focused all of her attention to her food. She hadn't been eating much in the past week, but she played with her food which made it look like she ate more to keep the other ladies from bothering her about it.

It had almost been two weeks since Gina had run from the King's rooms, and they had only seen each other at meals. Gina kept her head down and avoided his gaze. Henry had been to the Queen's rooms a few times, but every time he came in Gina found an excuse to leave the rooms. Her cheeks flared a bright red every time she thought of that night, and she had to remind herself that he was a married man. Not only was he a married man, but for all she knew she could have a family somewhere. She knew she could have no claim on him, but that didn't stop the dreams.

Instead of the nightmare she had been having before the incident she dreamed of Henry every night. When she woke gasping for breath and longing for completion she had to force herself to go back to sleep and not run to his chambers and beg him to take her. She had begun to wonder what kind of person she was, to have these kinds of feelings for a married man.

Gina jolted from her thoughts as the woman across from her said her name.

"Gina? Where has your head been today?"

Gina stared at the other women for a moment, then looked down at her plate, pushing her food around on her plate as usual. She looked back up at the woman who had spoken and gave her a small smile.

"I apologize. I was thinking of tomorrow when the Queen is to go on a ride with the King. What are we to do while they are gone?"

The other lady launched into a list of things they had to finish before the Queen would return to her rooms, and Gina took that as her cue to descend back into her own thoughts. She nodded at some points and made generic responses as the conversation morphed into a discussion about cards or gambling. It was nonsensical to Gina, and she didn't give two shits about games like that; that may be because she didn't have any luck or talent at them, but that's another thing all together.

Queen Catherine stood to leave the room and her ladies leapt from their chairs. Catherine curtsied low to her husband and her ladies followed suit. She hurried past them and they followed her out of the room. Once they reached her chambers she ran to the chamber pot and let loose the contents of her stomach. She had not been feeling well earlier that day, but this was the first time she had done that. Gina held her hair up and out of the way, then followed her to her bedchambers. She helped her change into her nightgown and helped her into bed.

"My lady, can I do anything for you to make you feel more comfortable?"

Catherine rested back on her pillows, smiled lightly and nodded her head.

"Lady Gina, I don't believe I will be well enough to ride with his majesty in the morning. Please go to him and tell him it is with my deepest regrets that I am not well and that I shall not be able to accompany him."

Lady Gina cringed on the inside, but remained calm on the outside. She had been practicing keeping her feelings to herself, and she was getting better at it.

"My lady, may I sent another to inform his majesty?"

Catherine looked at Gina, surprised that the girl didn't seem to be jumping on the chance to spend a few choice moments with her husband. She was no fool; she knew the way he looked at her. He looked at her as though she were something to eat, the way he looked at every woman who became his mistress.

"Lady Gina, I have asked you to do it. You will be fine. He is less likely to be angry with you for bringing this to him than another of my ladies or any of my gentlemen, because of your present situation. Please make sure his majesty knows that I send my deepest regrets and that if there is anything that I can do to make it up to him it shall be done with all haste. Go to him now and tell him what I have told you. Make sure whatever he asks for is carried out posthaste."

The Queen dismissed Gina with a small wave of her hand and closed her eyes to rest.

Gina left the room and closed the door quietly behind her. She didn't know why the Queen insisted on putting her in this situation; surely she knew that her husband had been staring at the woman for the past couple of weeks. There was no arguing with her, though. She deserved more respect than that for all she had done for Gina in the past month.

Gina hurried through the halls to the door which she had bolted from not long ago. She knocked lightly, hoping that no one was there and that she would have to go find him in the dining hall. Unfortunately for her, the door swung open just as she was about to leave. She turned back to the door and saw him standing in a simple loose white shirt and a close-fitting pair of black pants. She nearly melted at the sight of him, but she got herself under control before he could notice the look that had been in her eyes. She hoped.

Henry stood in the doorway looking Gina over. Of all the people to be standing outside his door she was the last person he had expected to see. She had been avoiding him like the plague for the past couple of weeks, but it only made him watch her more. He looked her over, smiling in approval of her simple light blue dress. She looked like a child's doll, with the exception of her eyes which burned with fire and lust for a split second before going blank. That disappointed him more than her lack of attention had. She had become a part of his court far more than he would have liked.

Gina curtsied low and stayed in her position until he took her hand and pulled her up. He took both of her hands and pulled her into his room, closing the door with his foot. He was sure that she had realized her mistake and had come to apologize for running from him, but when he pulled her to himself and tried to kiss her lips she stiffened and turned her head to the side. He pulled away from her and turned to his fireplace. He felt like an idiot, which in a King can be a very volatile thing; especially considering the considerable size of his own ego.

Gina silently shook herself and took several calming breaths. Henry was a god among men in her eyes, but she couldn't allow herself the pleasure of his company. Not like that, and certainly not until she knew who she really was. She rubbed her hands on her arms and sighed. She steadied herself and took a couple of steps forward.

"My lord, I have a message from her majesty. She wishes to inform you that she has fallen ill and that although she will be well within the week she is not able to ride with you tomorrow. She sends her deepest regrets. Also, she instructed me to ask you if there was anything she could do to make it up to you and ordered me to fulfill your wishes."

Henry's mind began churning as he heard her last sentence. His wife had practically set him up with the girl he had been lusting after. He stared into the flickering fire and chuckled to himself quietly. He arranged his face into a displeased look and turned to Gina.

"Let her majesty know that I am very displeased with the fact that she will not be accompanying me tomorrow and that I hope her health improves quickly. As for making it up to me, Lady Gina..."

Gina kept her expression blank, but on the inside she was panicking. There were a multitude of things he could request of her, and she was sure that there wasn't anything that she could justify doing with him that wouldn't make her hate herself if she ever found out that she had a husband somewhere searching for her.

Henry was looking for a reaction from Gina, but he wasn't getting anything from her. She stood there like a statue, awaiting an order. It bothered him more than he could have imagined that it would.

"...I would like for you to accompany me in the morning for my ride. I do not wish to cancel my plans, and I do not wish to ride alone. You are to meet me at the stables shortly after sun-up."

"May I ask who else will be accompanying us on the ride?"

Henry smirked.

"Not that it matters, but it will be just the two of us. I have a couple of locations I wish to check on, and I don't want to be slowed down by a large company of people."

Gina's stony facade dropped for a moment and her face fell. She turned from him and walked to the fireplace.

Henry saw her face drop and she turned away from him. He didn't understand why she didn't find him attractive and he intended on finding out exactly why she was pulling away from him. He turned away from her as well and walked to his bedchamber door.

"Don't be late."

Henry disappeared through the door. As soon as Gina heard it shut she began to panic again. She would be alone with him the entire day, and she wasn't sure if she could keep herself from throwing herself at him.

She sank into the chair by the fireplace and buried her head in her hands. She had tried to keep him out of her mind. When that didn't work she had tried to remember something, anything, that would make her feel less horrible about the feelings she had when she looked at Henry. She still couldn't remember anything, and she didn't know how to explain to him why she had run away and why she kept pulling away.

She let out her first sob as she sat there in his chair. Once the first one got out the floodgates burst open and she could barely breathe as she silently sobbed, wishing she could run into the arms of the man that was a mere two doors away from herself. She cried for what seemed like forever before falling asleep, still sitting in front of a dying fire in the King's sitting room.

* * *

Henry woke the next morning earlier than he had intended. A servant brought in his breakfast and he ate quickly in bed before rising and getting dressed for the day. He checked himself over and made sure he was prepared for the ride which he had been thinking of since he knew Gina was going with him instead of Catherine.

He pushed through the door to his seating room and was startled to see Gina curled up in his chair by the fire in the same clothes she had been wearing the night before when she came to inform him of the change of plans. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy, and her breath was uneven. He sat across from her and watched her sleep, not wanting to wake her quite yet.

A few minutes later she began to stir. He thought she was waking when she heard a low moan escape from her lips. It sounded just like the moan she had made the other night before she had pushed him away. He sat up, enthralled with what he was seeing. Her head fell back and another moan slipped out.

"_Henry..._"

He stood and neared the chair opposite him. He knelt by her chair and ran him hand up her arm to her shoulder. His other hand rested on her knee. He leaned in near her ear.

"_Gina..._"

She arched off the chair and moaned again, practically right in Henry's ear. He stifled a groan and tightened his hold on her. He wanted to kiss her, to take her right there in front of the fireplace.

While he was debating the merits of doing so her eyes fluttered open just inches away from his. She stared at him hungrily for a moment, then her eyes flicked to the rest of the room and she realized where she was. Her face settled back into the blank stony look that she had the day before. She leaned back into the chair and waited for Henry to let her go.

He realized the moment that she flipped the switch. He let go of her and stood up.

"Did you not wish to return to your own bed last night?"

She stared up at him and cocked her head to the left.

"I suppose not, your majesty."

Gina stood and straightened herself. She tried not to blush as she realized she hadn't gone back to the lady's quarters. If she went back now in the same gown, they would know where she had been all night and they would assume the worst. She muttered some curses under her breath and sighed.

Henry pulled her chin up to look him in the eyes.

"What?"

Gina couldn't hold back the blush this time, and she avoided his gaze.

"I can't go back to the Queen's rooms wearing this. They'll all assume that I was... that we..."

He chuckled and let her go. He walked to the window to see the sun rising.

"You should not worry about that. We will be leaving here soon. I'll have someone fetch you a riding cloak and you may change your gown when we get back. I wish to leave as soon as possible."

He walked to the door and ordered someone in the corridor to bring another tray of food for Gina along with a basket of food for their lunch while they were riding. He gestured to a small door.

"You can freshen up in there. Your food should be here shortly, then we'll leave."

Gina nodded and slipped through the door. There was a chamber pot and a table with a bowl containing fresh water with rose petals floating in the water. A small mirror hung on the wall and she caught a glimpse of her face. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and she was sure he had noticed. She sighed and used the clip in her hair to hold the loose bits up, then plunged her face into the bowl. She let her face sit under the water until she couldn't stand it anymore, then pulled up. She wiped her face off and let her hair fall to frame her face. It was wavy today from being pined up the way it had been all night and she liked the way it looked.

A few minutes later she exited the room and was greeted by Henry holding a tray of food for her to eat.

"I told them to bring up a variety. I wasn't sure what you eat... In fact, it has come to my attention that you haven't been eating much at all as of late."

He raised an eyebrow and held out the tray. She turned her head and looked back to the door.

"You have to eat something before we leave, and we're leaving soon. Pick something."

Gina sighed and tried not to roll her eyes. She selected a slice of bread and bit into it. She chewed it, swallowed, and put the remainder of it back down on the tray. She glared at him, daring him to say something.

He set the tray down on a small table and selected a chunk of meat. He turned to her and stalked forward.

"You will eat this before we leave, either by your own will or by force. I will not have you fainting and falling off your horse today."

She backed away, avoiding his gaze. She didn't want to eat anything else. She wasn't hungry, and she hadn't had anything richer than a small chunk of cheddar cheese in about a week. He was getting closer and closer, and she hit the wall. There was no where else for her to go.

She held her hand in front of her mouth and shook her head. He grinned.

"I was hoping you would do that."

Henry grasped her arm with his free hand and pressed it against the wall. She turned her head, stubborn. He pressed his body against hers and placed a small teasing kiss to the base of her neck and worked his way up to her ear.

"Gina... turn your head for me."

She shook her head and stifled a gasp as he kissed down her jaw as he had that night. He reached the corner of her mouth and teased it with his. She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her mouth, and while it was open he pushed the meat into her mouth and held his hand over it to keep her from spitting it out.

Gina looked at him outraged. She tried to push his hand from her mouth, but he was stronger than her; especially when he was prepared for her. The stood there like that for a few minutes before she gave up. She didn't want to stand like that all day. She chewed the meat and tried not to gag as she swallowed it. He removed his hand from her mouth and smirked.

"Was that really so hard, Lady Gina?"

She let her face fall back into the blank stare.

"I'm sorry your majesty. I didn't mean to disrespect you. Please forgive me."

He sighed, let go of her arm, and stepped back from the wall.

"Come on, it's time to leave. I had the servants prepare the horses."

She grabbed the cloak that was now sitting on the chair she had spent the night in and slipped it around her shoulders. King Henry held the door open for her and she brushed past him, tying to ignore the look he was giving her.

Henry couldn't help but stare as the woman walked in front of him. He grinned and followed her to the stables. They mounted the horses and Gina followed Henry out into the woods.

* * *

Three hours later they stopped on a hillside for lunch. Henry had spent one of the three hours trying to break through her stony exterior that she had built up that morning, but he hadn't had much luck. She had begun to let loose, but she was more stubborn than he realized; for some reason that attracted him to her even more. None of the ladies in his court had the fire she had. It was intoxicating.

She slid off her horse without waiting for him to help her and ran the rest of the way up the hill. She closed her eyes and felt the breeze pick up and blow her hair across her face. She smiled to herself and turned, taking in the site. The country side was more beautiful than anything she had seen before. She forgot about the man behind her and let herself go, basking in the moment.

Henry let out a laugh at the girl on the hill. She was twirling around and smiling as if every care in the world was gone. She collapsed to the ground and giggled.

"It's so beautiful!"

She looked up at him and smiled. She knew it was a bad idea but out here it was easy to forget why she shouldn't look at him the way she was just then. It was so calm and peaceful, better even than her spot by the pond in the garden.

Henry sat down next to her and opened the basket containing their food. He pulled out a turkey leg and gestured for Gina to take her pick. She peered in and found a small bowl containing berries. She grinned and gathered a small handful. She propped herself up on one elbow and popped the first berry into her mouth.

For what seemed to be the tenth time that day she couldn't stop a small moan from coming out of her mouth. She hadn't tasted anything this delicious ever. Henry had stopped eating and was watching Gina. He was struggling to hold himself back from throwing her to the ground and taking her right there. He seemed to be having a lot of trouble with that that day.

Henry dropped his food into the basket as Gina finished her berries and pushed the basket away from them. He leaned in close to her face and stroked her cheek gently. She pulled away, glancing down the hill at the trees.

"Lady Gina... Gina. Why do you pull away from me? Do I offend you in some way?"

Gina's happy streak came crashing down in seconds. She sat up and turned from him.

"It's not you. You're perfect..."

Henry moved to where he could see her face again and grabbed her wrists.

"Don't turn from me. Tell me. Explain to me why you won't give into your desires. I know you want me. You were speaking in your sleep in that chair this morning. You said my name; you moaned it. Explain."

Gina turned bright red and tried to speak, but words were escaping her. She thought about all the excuses she had used on herself and took a deep breath.

"I can't hurt Queen Catherine like that. She's been so good to me... I can't hurt her like that."

Henry looked amused.

"Is that the only reason?"

Gina nodded, then shook her head.

"I... I don't know anything about myself. What if I have a husband looking for me? What if I have children? I could never hurt them like that if I do. How could I face my family? I've learned that I'm a loyal person in the last few weeks, your majesty. What if when I regain my memory I remember that I have a family? I just can't... I can't..."

She began to sob again, crying even harder than the night before. He pulled her into his arms and tried to calm her. After several minutes of making soothing noises and holding her close she began to relax. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her forehead.

"Are you done?"

Gina nodded and sniffled.

"Please forgive me."

Henry shook his head.

"Those reasons are ridiculous. I take mistresses all the time; Catherine knows that she has to keep quiet and bear it. That's simply the way it's done. I'm sure if you have a husband somewhere he has done the same thing to you. Men do not marry a woman and only lay with that one woman their whole lives."

Gina teared up again. She pushed off of him and stood.

"I'm sure that if I have a husband somewhere he is as devoted to me as I would be to him. I'm sorry, my lord, but until I regain my full memory I need to stay away from you. The temptation is too much, and I could not live with myself if I hurt someone who loved me."

Gina turned and ran down the hill to her horse. She couldn't stand to be near him anymore. She mounted it with no difficulty and urged it on back towards the castle. It was a long ride, but she wanted to be alone.

Henry was furious. The woman was being insufferable, and he didn't have to tolerate it. She had run off into the woods in the direction they had come from on her horse. He was sure she would get lost or hurt again, but he almost didn't care. He had held her and been patient with her while she cried, and for what? She threw a temper tantrum and ran off.

He didn't know what to do with her. He huffed and leapt up on him horse, chasing after her. No matter how annoyed with her he got, he couldn't leave her to get lost or hurt in the woods. He didn't need a repeat of the night he found her.

Gina was crying yet again. She was almost more annoyed with that than she was with Henry, but she wouldn't admit it. He was so frustrating, expecting her to just ignore the feeling that she could belong to someone, somewhere, and that someone might not be him.

Suddenly her horse stopped short and reared back. She grasped the mane and held on for dear life. She let a scream rip from her throat when she lost her grip and was thrown from her horses back. She landed on the ground with a thud and watched as her mare took off. She stood and brushed herself off, grumbling after the horrible beast.

She wasn't thinking straight or she would have looked to see what had caused the panic before beginning to walk. She limped a little as she took off toward the castle again. She stumbled and had to stop to sit down for a second when she heard a horse approaching.

_'Must be the King. I can't believe I was thrown from that damn horse! I can't even make a dramatic exit without-'_

Gina was grabbed from behind and pulled into the brush. She let out another blood-curdling scream before a rough cloth was shoved into her mouth. Two men who had her arms in a steel grip wrenched them behind her back and a third man was leering at her breasts which were popping forward, heaving with her every breath. She kicked forward and almost got the man, but he leapt back at just the right moment. She was agitated and still angry from her conversation with the King, and this was just making her even more angry.

The third man came forward and slapped Gina in the face hard, knocking the cloth out of her mouth. He grabbed her hair and yanked her head backwards, kissing her lips, bruising them. When he pulled back smiling a wicked smile she spit at his face and it hit him straight in his eye.

"Take that, you bastard!"

He reared his arm up to slap her again. She braced herself for the hit, cringing away as best as she could.

Henry heard a scream up ahead and knew it had to be Gina. He pushed his horse on faster when he heard the second scream, which was louder than the first. He reached a small clearing and saw Gina being held behind some shrubbery by two men while one man leered at her chest. He dismounted his horse and crept as quickly as he could to stand hidden behind a tree, waiting for the right moment to jump in and take control of the situation.

He heard the slap and winced, hoping to see a moment where he could jump in. He peered around the tree and saw the man kiss her. He almost leapt in at that moment, but he didn't want her to be harmed in the process. He grinned when she spit in his face, and when the man reared back to hit her again he changed around the tree and grabbed the mans arm.

Gina was waiting for the impact, but it never came. She looked up and saw Henry standing there in all his glory, holding her attackers arm, looking furious. The man swung around at the King before noticing who it was, and he was soon laying on the ground at Henry's feet moaning in pain. The men holding Gina gripped her arms tighter and farther behind her back. She couldn't stop a moan of pain from escaping her mouth, which drew Henry's eyes to see her writhing in pain from her shoulders being pulled so far back.

One of the men recognized Henry and dropped to his knees, releasing Gina's arm. The other man followed suit, but in his fear he had forgotten to let go of Gina. She went down with him, crying out in pain again. He realized what he had done and released her as if she were poison. She fell forward and Henry caught her, lifting her and holding her to him.

"Are you alright, Lady Gina?"

Gina nodded through the tears caused by the pain radiating from her shoulders. She buried her face in his chest and clutched at his shirt.

"I'm going to set you down and deal with these men. Don't move, you understand?"

Gina nodded and stayed where he put her. She watched through blurry eyes as he stood above them menacingly and smiled. She knew he would take care of her, but she wasn't sure she wanted the men to suffer death because of her.

Henry glared down at the men.

"You have made a grave mistake today. You'll be lucky to escape with your life."

They groveled at his feet, begging him to have mercy. One look in his eyes and they knew there would be no mercy from their King, not for this. Henry drew his sword and held it to one of the men's throats. He was rearing his sword back to land his final blow when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked, startled, to see Gina standing there holding his arm back. He looked at her, surprised.

"Lady Gina, what are you doing? Do you know what these men would have done to you had I not come along?"

She gulped and nodded.

"I know what they would have done. If I hadn't been so ridiculous and left so suddenly, we wouldn't be in this predicament. Let's just go back and leave them here. Let's just go."

He scowled.

"If I don't do this now, they'll just harm someone else."

Gina began to respond when her eyes widened, she grasped her side, and staggered to the left. She doubled over in pain and gasped. Henry looked on, alarmed.

"Lady Gina, what is it?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but the only thing that came out was another pain-filled groan. She pulled her hand away from her side covered in blood. Her eyes widened and she fell forward into Henry's arms. He caught her as her eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out.

Henry's eyes were black with fury. He laid Gina onto the ground away from the three men and turned back, the steel of his sword gleaming menacingly. Anger radiated off him and the two men cowered. The third man was kneeling on the ground with a bloody knife in his hand, grinning wildly. Henry stepped toward him slowly.

"She wanted me to spare your pathetic life. She blamed herself for this, and that's how you repay a lady? Sir, you have just cost yourself and your companions any chance of surviving this day!"

He swung his sword and the man fell back, bleeding profusely. Henry swung around and took care of the other two men. He made sure they weren't going to be getting up, then sheathed his sword.

Henry rushed to her side and crouched by her side. She was breathing shallowly, and blood was seeping steadily out of her wound. It seemed bad; he knew he had to get her back to the castle. He tore a piece of her skirt from the bottom and wrapped it tightly around her waist. He lifted her and brought her to his horse. He laid her across the horses back and climbed up after her.

As he arranged her so he had a good grip on her he felt like he was back to that night over a month ago when he found her, except this time they were much farther from the court and her situation was much more dire. He urged the horse onward, praying that she would hold on until they got back to the castle.

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**Once more, I bring you a chapter that surpasses all chapters before (in length, anyways!). Gina is a bit of a damsel in distress, but I can't help making her feel the pain. For some reason it just makes me smile. Hope you enjoyed this chapter; I would greatly appreciate reviews! Thank you so much for reading, and have a great day!**


	7. Recovery

**Welcome back to another day in the life. =) I hope you've all had a good few days since we last met!**

**Just an FYI for all of you who may like to know; I do not own Showtime's The Tudors. Any references to it belong exclusively to Showtime.**

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Henry stood outside the door to the bedchamber where Gina lay. He had listened to the physician babble on and on until he finally got to the point; she was still unconscious, but would recover soon.

A few hours ago he had been charging into the castle, not sure if she would be able to hold on until he got her to his doctor. She had, but he knew if she had been bleeding any faster or if it had taken him just a few minutes more that she would not have made it. He was worried about her and upset that he had placed her in a situation that had caused this, but he was also angry at her. She was stubborn and reckless, and if she hadn't run from him like that she would have been fine.

Henry pushed through the door, fully intending on giving her the verbal lashing of a lifetime. He opened his mouth to begin when his eyes fell on the girl on the bed.

She had been stripped of her clothing and was only covered by a thin white sheet. Her normally golden skin was washed out. She was still asleep and as he watched her her face twisted into a look of pain for a few seconds before going back to the peaceful look of sleeping. The doctor had told him that she should be waking any minute now, and he intended on waiting with her until she did.

The King pulled a chair to her bedside and settled back into it, watching the woman in front of him. As he watched her, he began to wonder why he was so fixated on her. His eyes traveled from her red hair to her closed eyes, which he knew to be an ocean green. Not the muddy color of the ocean when there were storms, but a clear green-blue of the water on the clearest day. He stopped next on her lips, which were full, and if memory served him correctly, softer than any lips he had the pleasure of kissing before. She was beautiful, but there were other great beauties at his court; ones he would not have to exert so much effort to obtain.

No, Henry wasn't drawn to Gina simply because of her looks. He was drawn to her fiery personality that rivaled his own. He was tired of the simpering women who didn't challenge him or make him work to impress them in any way. He was hungry for the chase, and she was providing him with exactly that. He had always been known to want what he couldn't have, which in his life had been very little. He had always been a Prince of England, and although he was the second born son he was still given whatever his heart or any other part of him desired.

Henry stood and walked to the small table near the door. Someone had set a jug of wine, a small jug of cream, and some fruit on the table. He poured himself a cup of wine and looked over the food.

Gina woke in a small room much like the first room she had seen in the castle. She had a moment of panic when she couldn't remember how she got there again when she felt the burning pain in her side and remembered everything that had happened. She had been attacked, and the King had rescued her. She smiled lightly and pushed herself up with her arms.

Henry heard a sound from the bed and spun to see Gina attempting to sit up. The sheet covering her fell and he was left staring at her naked chest. They stared at each other for several seconds before she realized what was happening, her cheeks burned a bright red, and she grabbed at the sheet, which caused her to lose her balance and fall back. She grimaced in pain as she settled down, trying not to move again.

He chuckled lightly at her and walked back to her bedside. He settled into the chair he had been in before and took a swig of his wine. He leaned back in the chair and propped his feet up on a stool.

"Lady Gina, the physician tells me you are recovering well. How is your side?"

Gina wanted to crawl under the sheets and hide. He had seen her half-naked and he was acting as if nothing unusual had happened. She felt a throb at her side and grimaced.

"I'll be fine. It's just a little scratch."

Henry smirked, set his wine on a small table next to the bed, and leaned forward. She watched him, leery of what he was going to do. Yes, she had understated the stab wound, but she was sure she was right about being fine. It already felt better than it had when the man had stabbed her to begin with.

He grabbed the edge of her sheet and pushed it toward her until he reached her side. He lifted it and laid it on her stomach, leaving her side bare. He raised an eyebrow and ran his fingers softly over the stitches in her skin. She gasped and her eyes squeezed shut. His eyes flicked from her side to her face and back again.

"It doesn't look like a scratch. The doctor informed me that the man missed any organs, but had he been just an inch over you wouldn't have been so lucky."

She peered down at him and sighed, trying to keep herself calm and collected.

"It really isn't that bad. I must have just overreacted when I passed out. I was surprised."

He sat up and leaned toward her face, his soft expression hardening. He reached out and grabbed the hand that she was trying to use to move the sheet back over herself with. His grip was slightly rough as he pinned her arm to the bed.

"You wouldn't be in this bed if you hadn't run like you did. Your own foolishness caused all of this."

Her eyes burned with indignation as she responded to his anger with her own anger. She tried to pull her arm away from him, but he held her down as he had that morning when he was making her eat. The memory alone made her even more indignant. She glared at him and huffed.

"If you hadn't insulted me with your talk of mistresses and disloyalty, maybe I wouldn't have needed to run. I don't care who you are, you could be God _himself_, but I still wouldn't degrade myself and insult any family I may have like that! I was struggling with my choice to stay away from you, but I'm not anymore! You made me see quite clearly this afternoon that you place little value on my memory, or a lack-thereof!"

A variety of emotions flitted across his face as he squeezed her wrist tighter. She stood her ground as his eyes nearly burned a hole in her and added a little extra glare just for herself. He looked as though he were going to keep arguing with her and she was prepared for it. Instead of saying another word, he stood and released her arm.

"Madam, you forget to whom you speak. I saved your life today, and I am your King. You are living in my home where I have graciously provided anything you could desire, and yet you insult me by turning me away. You presume because you are in the position you are in that you may say what you wish, but know this; my temper is short. Be careful in your words, Lady Gina."

Gina's heart was racing. The man towering over her was pure power, and she couldn't help but think of one of her dreams of the two of them. She hadn't meant what she said about wanting to stay away from him; that had been her temper speaking. She lowered her eyes from him to look at her side, and gently traced the line of stitches as Henry had done. She let her hand fall to the bed next to her. She knew her injuries could have been much more severe if he had not intervened, and she knew that he was right about her stubbornness. She could have prevented all of this. She looked back up at Henry, who was still standing there radiating anger.

"Your majesty, I forgot my place. I apologize, and I thank you for what you have done for me. You have saved my life not once, but twice. I wish there were something I could do for you in return, but there simply is not. Perhaps one day soon I will know who I really am, and then... perhaps then I will know if there is someone else who will care for me so I will no longer be a burden to you. You have provided me with every comfort, and I hope that you know how grateful I am to you and her majesty. Please, forgive me."

Henry softened as he listened to the woman speak. He sat back down onto the chair and rested his hand on hers. She watched him as he took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth. His eyes traveled to hers as he brushed his lips over her knuckles gently and lowered her hand back to the bed.

"Lady Gina, you are forgiven. I hope that you regain your memory soon, and that you will come to me when you do and tell me of your life."

He stood again and released her hand.

"Rest. Recover. When you are well, you will return to the Queen's rooms and to her service."

Gina nodded and laid her head back.

"Thank you, my lord."

He exited the room and she looked around again. The room was a little different from the one she had been in before. She spotted the food on the table and realized how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten properly in weeks, and that morning had taken a lot out of her. She looked around for a servant or someone, but no one was around. She figured she could walk across a room to get herself something to eat; after all, starving couldn't possibly help her recovery.

She pulled the sheet the rest of the way off and sat up. As she moved herself carefully to the edge of the bed she caught site of herself in a mirror and grimaced. There were dark purple bruises on her upper arms where the two men had held her, her face had a lighter purple from where she had been slapped, but it was nasty all the same. There were various smaller bruises that she assumed were from falling and from the ride back, which she couldn't recall.

Gina groaned lightly in pain as she slid out of bed. It felt as if every inch of her body were inflamed. She slowly limped to the table and was happy to see a large bowl of the berries she had eaten that morning. There was a small jug of what seemed to be cream, and she nearly laughed with delight. Nothing had been appetizing for weeks, and she was relieved that there was finally something she wanted to eat. She grasped the jug, placed a small spoon into the bowl of berries, and made her way slowly and carefully back to the bed.

She set her food on the bed and climbed back up. She gasped in pain as she twisted wrong and her side flared white hot. She settled herself down quickly and stifled a sob. She really had been lying when she said it wasn't too bad, but she was just too proud to admit that she really was hurt.

Once she had calmed down, she poured the cream onto the berries and lifted the first spoonful to her mouth. She whimpered with pleasure and smiled to herself.

'_Amazing..._'

When she finished the bowl off she pushed it to the edge of her bed and lay back down, covering herself fully once more. Her mind swirled with the events of the day as she drifted into a sound sleep.

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**Shorter chapter today, but really it's a continuation of the last one... I know, I know. That's not really a good excuse, right? I promise a longer one next time! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll be seeing you soon with the next chapter of 'I'll Save Myself'.**


	8. Celebration

**Hey all! I'm sorry about that last update! I'm home from school for Thanksgiving week, and my Mom's computer fucked it up. I figured it out. =D I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**The usual disclaimer applies. I have to say it, you say? Alright. Any references to Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel charactors belong to him, and any reference to Showtime's Tudors belong to them.

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Gina sighed and stretched as she woke to a beam of sun shining on her face from the highest window of her room. The past two months had been boring to the point of tears, but she wouldn't complain about that. Henry seemed to be respecting her wishes and only saw her when they were accompanied by at least one other person. He spoke to her rarely and only sought her out a couple of times to ask of her health as she walked the gardens.

She was grateful that he had listened to her that day but she missed him. God help her, but she had fallen hard for the man. It was still difficult for her to stay away, but her stubbornness helped her. She had too much pride to simply give in to some lustful thoughts and desires.

She had healed fully almost three and a half weeks ago and was taking advantage of the fact by running every errand she could for any lady that needed something. They had been so helpful to her while she was unable to run about the castle that she felt she owed it to them. They hadn't complained once, but they hadn't overly coddled her either. She had been up and serving the Queen again in a week after her encounter, but there were just some things that she wasn't able to do. For example, she wasn't able to help fill the bath for her majesty. When she had attempted to help one of the other woman she had torn a few stitches and had to have the doctor replace them. She shuddered at the memory; needles were not her cup of tea.

Gina had made a new friend in the past month as well. A former lady had returned to court with her husband who was now the ambassador to Spain. Christina had made clear that she would not go to Spain with him and had spoken to the King privately, asking him to speak to her husband on her behalf. Henry had ordered that she stay to be in the service of the Queen, and as a result she was sharing a room with Gina. No one else had wanted to stay with the strange girl, so until the woman's return to court she had been alone in the room, a matter that she neither enjoyed nor loathed.

Lady Christina was a beauty, only a few inches shorter than Gina. She had the same skin tint as Gina as well, although Gina's was much more golden. Christina informed her that it was a sign of a commoner to have such skin, but Gina thought the pasty white was far less appealing. She liked being different; it suited her.

After only a few short days Christina and Gina were close friends. Christina had told Gina of her short affair with the King and how she had seen the woman before she had gained consciousness. She told her about the story that was to be followed if anyone asked about her aside from the King, the Queen, or Henry Brandon. They had decided upon distant cousins that lived in the same realm but rarely saw each other. Other details were left open for anyone to guess at; it gave the people of court something to gossip about, especially because their guesses were just that.

Gina laced her dress in the front and tied it off with a small knot. She had on a deep green dress with white lace on the edges with slashed sleeves. It opened on the side to show the petticoat underneath and was very flattering if she did say so herself. She had convinced the seamstress to sew her something similar to the things she had been wearing under her clothing when she was found. She had felt very uncomfortable wandering around with nothing on under her clothing. She slid on a pair of dark green slippers that had ribbons that laced up her legs. She brushed her growing hair and pulled it up into a messy bun.

When she was satisfied with her reflection she turned to see Lady Christina in a stunning peach color that brought a touch of pink to her skin. She had swept her long dark brown hair into an intricate hairstyle that Gina couldn't have repeated if her life depended on it and was slipping on a pair of slippers. Once she was satisfied with herself, she looked Gina over. She stared critically for a moment before ordering Gina to sit on a small stool. She pulled Gina's hair out of its bun and began to work on it. When she was finished Gina's hair was twisted up neatly and was clipped with a small emerald studded hair comb that Christina had unearthed from her things. Gina had protested that it was too grand for her, but Christina wasn't hearing any of it.

"Nonsense. The King himself gave it to me as a wedding gift, so it makes perfect sense that you would wear it. You're his newest obsession, after all. He is smitten with you! I can not understand why you won't just give in to the man. He's the best lover I've had the pleasure of laying with…"

Her eyes went glassy as she thought back to her time with the lively man, and Gina wrinkled her nose. She waved a hand in front of her friends face.

"Sissy, will you stop speaking of that if I agree to wear it with no more complaints?"

Christina's eyes darted to Gina's and she pursed her lips, thinking of it before nodding in agreement. She pulled Gina to her feet and looped her arm with hers. She grinned at her friend and pulled her toward the door, babbling as they went.

"You know, I love that name. Christina has always been so formal and long! Liam calls me Christina, and it just sounds so dreadfully distant. I'm so glad we are true friends, Gina. It was always terribly lonely here when I was with the King… everyone acted so different towards me. You and I have a lot in common, although your willpower astounds me. Such a stubborn streak for a woman! Not that it's a bad thing, mind you. It's just so abnormal!"

Gina smiled as her energetic companion blathered on and on. She truly enjoyed her company, but she could talk for forever without even taking a breath. In fact, that was the only even slightly annoying quality that Gina had noticed, and she had found it easy to look over.

They rushed through the halls, giggling as they raced to the Queen's chambers to help her ready for the celebration that day. The King's sister, Margaret, was returning to the English court from Scotland and Henry was throwing celebrations in her honor for the next couple of weeks. The entire court was expected to dress in their finest clothing for that night's festivities, and Gina was excited. This was her first large celebration here at court, and she hoped it would be an amazing day to add to her new memories. She had all but stopped trying to force herself to remember her life before waking in the castle and had decided to let them come to her as they may. She hadn't been having much luck anyways.

They came to the Queen's chambers and pushed through the door. They were the first two ladies to arrive and began to prepare things for the other ladies. They were not to stay with the Queen that day; the King had ordered them along with three others to perform in a small masque, and they had to be to the stage before the court began to fill the room. Once the ladies that were attending to the Queen arrived, Gina and Christina excused themselves, leaving them to wake and assist Catherine.

Gina and Christina raced to the room where they were instructed to meet and were the last to arrive. The other women had not gone to the Queen's rooms at all, preferring to skip that and take more time to prepare. They had been given masks to cover their faces, and Gina fell in love with hers when she had seen it the week before. It was a slim thing, only covering her eyes and part of her nose, but it was the most brilliant shade of green she had ever seen. It was a few shades brighter than her dress and it brought out the color in her eyes. Christina had insisted that she make her gown match it, so that had determined her dress color for her. She tied the mask on and grabbed the matching fan. She twirled around Christina, who had tied on her peach colored mask and was practicing her aloof glare.

Gina giggled at the girl's attempt to be cold and made a face until her friend was laughing along with her. She grabbed her hand and spun her around, alternating between twirling Christina and twirling herself. They had to hold onto each other to prevent themselves from falling over and they laughed until they were breathless. The other ladies had remained on the other side of the room and were looking at them with disapproving eyes, but the two didn't pay them any attention. They had grown accustom to ignoring them.

A man came into the room and announced that they were to go the stage. Christina took Gina's hand and dragged her to the room, both still giggling between breaths. It had been that way for weeks, and it was quite annoying to the other ladies, but that didn't stop them. They were entertaining themselves, which was more than the others could say for themselves.

Gina climbed the small staircase to stand in a tower where she was playing a trapped princess. Christina stood at the bottom of the stairs alone as the other woman climbed another small staircase to a series of three windows where they would wait to be rescued as well. There would be two men to rescue them; a prince and his friend. Christina would be the evil one guarding the staircase to the real princess who had to be overcome. They had practiced it with one of the men, but the other had not come to any practices.

A little after they were ready the room had filled and the entire court waited to see their entertainment. The King's sister sat with the Queen, but the King was no where to be seen.

Two masked men ran into the room and made their way to the stage. The shorter one took the staircase where Christina was guarding while the shorter of the two snuck up the other staircase. He led the three down the stairs and to the side of the stage to watch the battle between the woman and the man. It was short, and soon the man was rushing up the stairs to rescue the "princess". Gina laughed with abandon as he swept her off her feet and carried her down the stairs. The court cheered as she offered her rescuer a token of her appreciation, and the masque was ended.

Music began, and the man on the stage offered his hand to Gina. She accepted, and he led her off the stage to join the dance. When the dance was done, they bowed to each other and he pulled her to the side.

"Madam, might I look upon your beautiful face?"

She blushed and raised her hand to the tie. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew who she was because of her unique hair and skin, but she decided that no harm could come of revealing herself.

"Of course you may my lord. If I may, I would like to see the face of my rescuer as well."

He reached up and untied his mask at the same time as she did, allowing it to fall. The man bowed slightly to her and took her hand, brushing his lips over her fingers, eyes never leaving hers. She felt an involuntary blush cover her cheeks, and she curtsied to him. He pulled her up and flashed a dazzling smile at her.

"You must be the Lady Gina everyone has been speaking of. You are a very popular subject of conversation, my lady. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Lord Micah Crawley. It has been my pleasure rescuing and dancing with you, the most beautiful woman in the room."

Gina blushed again, raising her hand to her cheek. She was flattered by his words and could tell that he was interested in her, but she had only had eyes for one man at court, and so far she had not seen him anywhere. She glanced around, looking for him, but she didn't see him anywhere.

"My lord, you flatter me. Surely there are others here at court that outshine me in their beauty."

He grinned and shook his head.

"I have met no woman here in court that could hold a candle to you, Lady Gina."

Gina heard a throat being cleared behind her and glanced back. The second man from the play was standing there, still in his mask. She turned to greet him, nearly turning her back on Lord Micah. She gave a shallow curtsy to the masked man and smiled sweetly.

"It's another of our heroes! Hello, good sir. You were magnificent!"

The man simply held his hand out to her to lead her to the dance floor as Micah had before. She took his hand and was twirled into the dance. It was a much more intimate dance, and they came within inches of each other at times. Her body was responding to his, and they echoed each other perfectly. When the song came to an end they bowed again, and he led her to a small alcove that led to the gardens.

When they reached the edge of the garden, he pulled her off to the side and swept her into his arms. He held her close and kissed her lips, which ignited a flame in her that she had only felt once before at court. She threw herself into the kiss fully and her breathing was ragged when he pulled away from her. He released her and she took a step back. Gina curtsied low.

"Your majesty."

Henry grinned and pulled his mask off. He had been jealous that Micah had been the one to rescue her and had claimed her first dance of the evening. When he had seen her with him, he became more determined than before to obtain her. He had planned on speaking with her privately later on, but his jealousy had moved him to change his plans.

He pulled Gina back up and kissed her hand, lingering longer than was necessary. She smiled lightly and pulled away from him again.

"Lady Gina, have you been well?"

She nodded.

"Yes, your majesty. I have improved greatly; in fact, I am fully recovered as of a little over three weeks ago. Lady Christina and I have been celebrating."

He smiled lightly and held out his arm to her. She took it and he led her deeper into the garden. They made small talk for a few more minutes before he stopped by a small fountain and settled down on the edge. He gestured for her to sit next to him and she lowered herself to the stone ledge carefully. He took one of her hands and traced a line over her fingers.

"Have you discovered any more of your past?"

She sighed and shook her head, disappointed in herself.

"Sadly I have not. I tried, but nothing has come to me…"

He looked down the path back towards the castle. He sighed as well and patted her knee.

"It will be alright. You will discover yourself, then perhaps…"

He trailed off and stood. She went to stand as well, but he held out a hand.

"Wait here. I have something for you; it will only take a moment."

Gina settled back down and nodded. The King disappeared into the garden back towards the castle and she sighed to herself again. She knew she was only encouraging him when she kissed him back, but she hadn't been able to stop herself from indulging in a moment of bliss.

She moved from her perch on the fountain's edge to the soft grass. She lay her head back to face up to the warming late morning sun and bathed in the warmth. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. She found herself laying down across the ledge and drifting off as she waited for the King to return.

* * *

_Gina was standing in a large room filled with people. Several women were in front of mirrors, primping as others rushed around with scraps of cloth and full outfits. She was looking over each woman's wardrobe to be sure everything was perfect before sending them on stage. Her newest line of clothing included everything from skimpy swimwear to a very gorgeous, expensive wedding gown. _

_As she finished checking the last rack of clothes, her phone rang. It was her mother, calling to wish her luck and sending her love. They would have been there, but Gina's youngest brother had gotten into some trouble and school and they had to cancel their visit at the last moment. She had been disappointed, but she got over it quickly._

_When she got off the phone the models were lining up, ready to go on. A delivery man with two dozen red roses came through a door and handed them to her without a word. She thanked him, and when he left she found the tag. It was from her most current ex boyfriend, Mike. She didn't know why she had gone out with him, but she knew exactly why she left him. _

_She threw the flowers into the trash and mentally prepared herself to present her designs to the press, the buyers, and to her closest friends. She took a final look around and smiled in approval. Everything she had worked for since she had dropped out of school was finally coming together, and she couldn't be happier.

* * *

_

Gina woke with a start. She was overwhelmed with the new information she now held. She had regained a memory, and it was strange. She didn't recognize anything from her dream. It seemed to be a different time almost, although she didn't know how that could have been possible. She knew for a fact that it wasn't the same place as she was in now; the clothing and the feel of the place were extremely different from the English court.

She held a hand to her forehead and groaned. She was a step closer to remembering herself, but it felt like she was a step farther away as well. Nothing she remembered made sense to her with the knowledge she had obtained since waking up. She sighed again and buried her face into her skirt at her knees.

That was how Henry found her. He rushed to her side, worried that she had hurt herself again. When he touched her shoulder she jerked back up, eyes wide.

"My lord. I was just… I was resting my head."

She didn't want to inform the King of what she had remembered; she wasn't sure what it meant, and she didn't want him to come to a conclusion about her before she came to one about herself.

He smiled lightly and sat next to her. He settled back against the fountain and pulled a small box from a pocket. It was about the size of a small rock and was encased in deep blue velvet. She looked at him with wide eyes again, questioningly. He held it out to her, his smile widening.

Gina took it and opened the box slowly. She gasped when she saw a small ring that matched her necklace. She pulled it from the box and slid it onto her right ring finger. She marveled at the small thing, wondering how long it had taken him to find someone who made things that tiny. She threw her arms around him.

"Oh, thank you! It's gorgeous. I love it!"

He held her close for a moment, savoring the closeness until she pulled away. She looked down at the ring again and smiled. She looked as if she was about to say something when she heard Lady Christina calling for her. She leapt up and curtsied low to the King before smiling apologetically and running off into the garden to her friend.

Henry sighed once again and stood, taking a different route back to the celebration. He didn't want to answer questions about where he had gone to his sister, who had not been in court long enough to know about his new interest. She would know before the end of the day, but until then he was going to act as though nothing was happening. He took a last look at the garden entrance, where his former mistress and the woman he hoped to be his future mistress were speaking with beaming smiles on their faces. He shook his head and strutted back into the celebration as if he had never been gone.


	9. Indecent Proposals

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Hey guys! Update would have been sooner, but I'm not as smart as I thought I was. I had this nearly finished, went to save it, and BAM!, it was gone. Typing it directly on the site=bad idea for me. Anyhow, welcome back and enjoy!

**The usual disclaimer shall suffice for the time being. I don't own Showtime's the Tudors, so any reference to it belongs completely to them.**

* * *

Lady Christina glanced around and looked at her friend with trepidation. Gina just grinned and pulled her hair out of the small bun it had been twisted in.

"Come on, Sissy. It's far too warm to just sit around in these stifling gowns in those stuffy rooms. I'm going for a swim with or without you. I would prefer you come with me, but if you don't want to…"

Christina rolled her eyes and sighed. This was one of the warmest days of the summer yet, and despite the thick black curtain Gina had managed to obtain to cover their window their room was sweltering. Gina had been trying to convince Christina to go to a small river in the woods for a swim to cool off for days but Christina had stalled. Today, however, Gina was having none of it. She had simply told Christina what she was planning on doing and headed for the woods. She couldn't very well just let her go off on her own, so she had followed her.

Gina threw a shoe at her friend. She was a little annoyed that Christina was being so uptight, but she was sure she would come around.

The river wasn't too deep; she could see the bottom easily. It was deep enough to swim around a bit though. Gina threw all her clothes except her underclothing to the ground in a small pile and gave her friend a wink before splashing into the water.

Christina sighed again and sat down to keep watch. She didn't understand Gina sometimes, but she was used to her little quirks and her strange underclothing. She watched as Gina slid under the water and came back up with a splash, throwing water everywhere. She was like a child, but Christina couldn't help but laugh.

"Come _on _Sissy! The water is amazing!"

When Christina shook her head, Gina's eyes gleamed. Christina knew that look. It was the look she got whenever she was about to do something that wasn't quite appropriate, and it never turned out well for the other person. Gina stepped out of the water and moved slowly toward her.

"Oh no. No you don't. Gina, stop right there."

Gina leapt forward and before Christina could react she was being pushed to the ground by a soaking wet Gina. She shrieked as Gina shook her hair and droplets of water hit her face.

"Alright, alright! Get off me and I'll come in."

Gina grinned triumphantly and ran back to the water.

"Well, come on!"

Christina shook her head and stripped down like Gina had. She left her chemise on and followed her friend to the water. She stepped in and gasped. The water was cool! She waded in to almost the middle and splashed her arms.

Gina swam up behind her friend and popped up.

"BOO!"

She pushed her into the water and Christina came up sputtering and splashing.

"I'll get you for that!"

Gina was already about ten feet away and was laughing at the look on her friend's face. She stuck her tongue out at Christina and had to turn to run away as she charged. It was an all out water war which lasted until they were both out of breath and tired out. They collapsed in the ankle deep water and leaned back against the shore. Gina turned to her friend and smiled.

"Tell me you didn't enjoy yourself."

Christina grinned back and looked up at the sky.

"Alright, you had a good idea. Don't let it get to your head."

Gina chuckled and stretched.

"Too late."

She nudged Christina and stood.

"Come on. Let's go back; I'm hungry!"

She pulled her up and they walked along the shoreline in the shallow water, savoring the last few seconds of cool water before going back to the warm rooms of the court.

The King and Queen had gone on progress. Only the advisors and a few select people had gone, and the Queen had not invited them to serve her on this trip. They had been gone for about six weeks now, so it would be about two more before they came home.

Gina sighed and glanced at the finger her ring was on. She had been chastising herself since that day, upset with herself. She never should have allowed him to give her such a gift, and she definitely shouldn't have encouraged him. It was a moment of weakness, and she was glad that she hadn't been asked to go on progress; she was having enough trouble with her emotions as it was.

They reached the section of the river where they had left their clothes and dressed quickly. Gina picked up her slippers, deciding to walk back through the woods barefoot. She hadn't been able to walk around without shoes often, and she took every opportunity she could get. Christina just shook her head as she slipped hers on and fixed her hair back up into her headdress. She wasn't about to walk on sticks and stones without something covering her feet like her crazy friend.

They headed back toward the castle, chattering about nothing in particular. They didn't even notice the sound of footsteps some twenty feet away, following them back to court.

* * *

Henry watched as his wife kissed their daughter goodbye. They were leaving her at Hatfield with her governess and a full household of servants and ladies to care for her. He touched his wife's arm gently, and she handed Mary over to her wet nurse to be fed. She issued a few last orders and followed her husband to the horses. They were going back to court without the young Princess, and she was having some difficulty leaving her. She took one last look at the door before following Henry back toward their home.

Henry was eager to return home. They usually were on progress for about two months, but he had decided to cut it short. He was tired of the heat, bored with the small group that was accompanying them, and was just ready to be back home. He had to admit to himself that part of the reason he wanted to go home early had something to do with a certain red head, but he would never admit it out loud. Not yet, anyways. She had avoided him during the rest of the celebrations, and then he had been too busy preparing to leave to find her. Henry urged his horse to ride faster, which quickened the speed of the rest of the riders' horses as well. At the speed they were traveling they would be home by nightfall.

* * *

Gina and Christina had changed in their room and were headed to the kitchens. They hadn't been anyone on hand to send for food, and Gina was too restless still from their swim and walk to just sit around.

She had met the cook and they were on friendly terms; a few weeks prior she had decided to explore the castle while Christina slept and had wandered in. The castle wasn't as full of activity as it usually was with the King and Queen on progress, so when she had entered the kitchen it was relatively empty and those that were there weren't busy.

She had been sitting on a stool, eating some bread and watching one of the scullery maids cut carrots when the kitchen maid came in. The woman had been visibly confused, but had remained calm as she asked if there was something she could do for the lady. When Gina assured her she was content just sitting and watching the woman's eyes grew wide in alarm. Later she confided in Gina that she thought she was going to be fired. She had gone about her business, shooting worried glances at Gina every so often.

Eventually Gina's pleasant chattering won her over, and since then she made it a point to visit every couple of days. She was fascinated by the things they made, and got to try a great number of dishes while she sat with them. They found her imagination intriguing, and enjoyed the stories she came up with. Christina had only been there a couple of times, saying that it was no place for a proper lady to spend her time.

Gina bounced into the kitchen and was greeted by the small group of servants enthusiastically. She settled onto her stool and gestured for Christina to take a seat next to her.

"What scandals do you have for me today, Mistress Katrina?"

The kitchen maid looked to the door and stepped around the table she had been working on, stirring something in a bowl as she moved.

"A very reliable source told my sister that their brother who works in the Lord Crawley's household overheard him speaking of you. If you don't mind me saying, I think he'll be coming courting soon enough, just you wait and see."

Gina wrinkled her nose and waved her hand in front of her face as if to fan a bad smell from her nose.

"I told you already Kat. I don't think he will. After all, I've done nothing to encourage him. In fact, I've been avoiding him every chance I get."

Katrina smirked and sat two plates on the table in front of the ladies, having anticipated a visit. She watched as the women tasted their food, and when she was satisfied that they were enjoying themselves she went to check on a pot of something. As she stirred she turned back to Gina and raised one eyebrow.

"You can say what you like, but the man is besotted with you. You may as well get used to the idea."

Gina grimaced again and shook her head.

"I refuse."

Christina rolled her eyes and took another bite. She knew why Gina didn't return Micah's affections, but she also knew the look on her friend's face. It was her stubborn 'I'm-always-right' look, and she knew there was no telling her otherwise. She glanced at the maid Gina had become friends with and shook her head.

"There's no use telling her something she doesn't want to hear. She'll just ignore you; that's her stubborn face."

Gina clapped a hand over her heart and gasped dramatically, widening her eyes and arranging her face into one of pain.

"Lady O'Connor! I can hardly believe you would say such a thing! I'm hurt!"

Christina rolled her eyes again and flicked a pea at her friend. Gina gasped again and selected a chunk of carrot. She tossed it at Christina and it bounced off her forehead and fell right back onto her plate. She giggled at the surprised look on her face, but stood and fled to the darkening door that led outside when Christina picked up a small bowl of soup.

"Thank you for the meal Kat, but look at the time! Terribly sorry, but I think it's past my bedtime!"

Kat laughed as she watched Gina flee out the door. Christina settled back onto her stool to finish her supper, content with the knowledge that she had scared her friend away for the time being so she could eat in peace. She would come back eventually.

Gina giggled as she fled the room. She was sure Christina would come after her, so she ran at full speed toward the front gate, which was the nearest way back into the castle that would be open. When she reached the door she had to stop to catch her breath. As she gasped for breath she looked behind her to see how far back her friend would be. She was confused when she didn't see her at all, but figured that she had gone back to the kitchen.

She grinned triumphantly and turned to go inside. She stopped short and turned away from the door when she heard horses approaching. She was surprised to see the King ride into the courtyard, followed by Charles Brandon and several others. She was going to try to slip into the palace unseen, but she was unsuccessful.

"Lady Gina!"

She cringed and turned to see Henry and Charles dismount and walk her way. She curtsied low, staying there until he reached her and pulled her up.

"My lords. Welcome back. I hope you return home as well as you left?"

Henry clapped Charles on the back and grinned.

"Even more so, wouldn't you say Charles?"

Brandon grinned back and nodded in agreement. He excused himself and went to help with the horses, leaving Gina and Henry alone.

Henry winked at her and took her hand, stepped past her and pulled her through the door behind him. Once the door closed he pulled her into an embrace.

"I've missed you."

She blushed and stepped back. He looked her over, pleased that she seemed to have more color than when he had left. She had filled out a little, and was no longer as deathly thin as she had been. He reached over and plucked a pea out of her hair. He raised an eyebrow at her, amusement filling his eyes.

"Your majesty, court has been terribly quiet without you here. I've had to find ways to entertain myself while you were gone."

He laughed at her and touched her cheek gently.

"I see."

He leaned in close and was about to kiss her when the door opened. Gina leapt away from him and he looked to see Charles Brandon standing there.

"What?"

Henry was annoyed at the interruption and was going to say so when he saw the Queen being helped down off her horse.

"Her Majesty has arrived. Would you like for her to be escorted in another way?"

Henry sighed and looked back to see Gina disappear around a corner. He shook his head.

"I'll escort her in myself."

Henry pushed past his friend, slightly annoyed that he had caused her to run. He would have to find her later, but for now he had his wife to attend to.

Gina rushed through the halls toward the kitchens. There was a good chance that Christina would still be there, and someone had to inform the kitchens of the King and Queen's early return. That wasn't the only reason she had run, but she figured it was a good enough excuse.

She darted around a corner and smacked into someone. Hands grabbed her arms and steadied her. When she was sure neither of them were tumbling to the ground she shook the hands off and stepped back. She brushed her hands down her skirt then crossed her arms, annoyed.

"Excuse me, but what do you think you're do-"

She glanced up as she spoke and stopped short. Lord Micah was standing there in front of her with an amused grin on his face, watching her. Her annoyance only grew as his grin changed to a smirk. He cocked his head to the side slightly and looked her over.

"Lady Gina. What a surprise to run into you like this."

She grimaced at the horrible pun and rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Lord Crawley?"

He straightened up and took a step toward her. She unconsciously took a step back at the same time. The man was physically imposing, and she was always wary around him. Being one of the few that stayed at court while most left for the summer she had spent some time with him. He made her uncomfortable and the few times they were alone together she always found a reason to leave. Most people were in their chambers by that time of day and the hall they were in didn't have any living quarters, and that made her even more worried. She looked around nervously then focused on him again.

He watched her closely, seeing the worry in her eyes as they darted about and finally landed on him.

"Now what makes you think I desire anything? Perhaps I was just on an innocent stroll when you nearly knocked me to the ground."

She snorted softly and rolled her eyes. She made a move to go around him, but he stepped in front of her blocking her way. He held both of his hands up as if to stop her and she stopped, backing away from him again.

"Calm down. I simply wished to speak to you in private. It seems you are rarely without Lady O'Connor and it's very difficult to get you alone."

Gina sighed motioned for him to continue.

"Please just get to the point. Someone is expecting me."

He grinned and clasped his hands together. He had been watching her since the day they had danced at the celebration for the King's sister, and he was intrigued by her mannerisms. She was different from the other ladies, and shortly after then he had decided that he had to have her. He watched as she ignored the flirtations of every man she came across and he tried to speak to her about it a few times, but each time he got her alone she was called away by her friend. He was thrilled that he had found her alone. He took a breath and looked into her eyes.

"Lady Gina, I've been trying to speak to you for some time now about this matter. I've been watching you since we first met and I believe that you are unattached. Am I correct in saying so?"

She nodded her head and opened her mouth to speak, but he hushed her. She huffed in annoyance yet again buy kept her mouth shut. He grinned.

"I was correct. Alright, then I would like to make a suggestion. I would like to court you, Lady Gina. Would you be against that?"

She stood there shocked for a few moments before regaining her composure. He was asking her if he could court her? So Kat was right! She would deal with that fact later; now she had something more important to deal with. She studied his face for a few moments before speaking again.

"As flattering as that is, Lord Crawley, I feel the need to decline. I'm sorry but it just isn't possible at the moment."

He was confused at her answer. He knew he was attractive and that he had money that would support a family quite comfortably.

"I don't understand. Why would it not be possible? There are few men here at court that could support you as I could. Explain."

She sighed. Gina had hoped she wouldn't have to explain her situation again. Henry had told her that he didn't want her to share the truth with many people, but she figured it would be the only way to make him accept her answer and move on. She bit her lip and stared up at a spot on the wall as she thought of how to word her story to her best advantage. When she finally came up with a suitable answer she looked back to him.

"I'm really not sure what rumors you have heard, but I'm sure one of them is I have lost my memories prior to coming here to court. That much is true. I have been told that the reason I was sent from my home to live here in the English court is because I was in a traumatic accident. I was sent here to heal away from the place and the people it happened around. The King has expressed his desire for me to regain my memory, and he has promised that I will be left alone while I am doing so. If you wish to speak to him about it, you are welcome to do as you will. As of this moment now I have no desire to complicate my life further than it is already. Now if you will excuse me, I need to fetch Lady Christina so we can return to her majesty's chambers as they have just arrived."

She darted around him as he processed the information she had given him. Gina glanced back at him before continuing on her way to the kitchens, hoping he would leave well enough alone and her with it. She full out ran toward the kitchens, upset that Katrina had been right.

Christina and Kat were chatting amiably as Kat kneaded dough. They both looked up startled when the door to the kitchen slammed open and Gina burst into the room. She stormed over to the stool she had been on before and plopped down onto it, fuming. The other women exchanged worried glances. Christina tentatively placed a hand on Gina's shoulder which seemed to jog her out of her thoughts.

Gina looked up at Kat and grimaced.

"You were right."

Kat chuckled and slammed a new piece of dough onto the table, her eyes sparkling with glee.

"I usually am. What was I right about this time?"

Gina buried her face in her hands and groaned. She mumbled something into her palms, but the other women couldn't understand her. Christina lightly patted her on the back.

"Gina, we can't hear you with your face in your hands like that."

She dropped her hands to her lap. Her face was burning a bright red once again, and that only made the situation that much more embarrassing for herself.

"Kat was right about Crawley. He cornered me in the corridor on my way back here."

Gina sighed and shook her head. She pushed a spoon around on the table, fiddling with it. She looked up at her friends, looking for a show of support.

"Was I wrong to push him off like that? Who knows if I have a family waiting for me… out of the few bits of memory I have regained I haven't seen anyone, and he would be able to support me comfortably. The King has a wife! Even if I don't have a husband somewhere, could I really resort to being his whore? What kind of life would that be?"

Kat shrugged, not knowing how to answer. Given the opportunity, she would leap at the chance to raise her status and to be taken care of, but they were in different situations. Christina stood and gave her friend a tight hug. She stepped back and grabbed onto her shoulders, looking into Gina's eyes.

"You have to do what is right for you. What feels right?"

Gina didn't even have to think about it for a second.

"Henry."

Christina gave her a small smile and settled back onto her seat.

"I knew you would say that. Let this whole thing go; I'm sure Lord Crawley will forget all about you soon enough!"

Gina rolled her eyes.

"That's what every woman dreams of hearing."

Christina pushed her and she nearly fell off her stool.

"You know what I mean, Gina."

They grinned at each other. Kat just rolled her eyes and continued with her work, hoping to be done with the bread soon so she would have a moment to rest. They all chatted for a few more minutes before Gina's eyes widened and she leapt to her feet.

"I completely forgot that I was rushing here to tell you something when Crawley interrupted me! The King and Queen have returned from progress early!"

Kat's mouth dropped open and she lost all hope of rest. She threw the bread down and rushed out of the room to fetch the other staff; the return of the royal couple would mean a large breakfast which required more than just one person in the kitchen.

Christina stared at her, astounded that she had forgotten something so important. They should have been in the Queen's rooms, waiting to serve her immediately upon her return, but they had wasted time talking with the help. Gina was definitely a bad influence on her.

Gina shrugged her shoulders at her friends look.

"I forgot! We can go to her rooms now…"

Christina rolled her eyes and grabbed her arm, dragging her out of the room.

"I'm sure the Queen is fast asleep. No point in going there and disturbing her. We've long since overstayed our welcome here; they have real work to do now. If we're to rise early in the morning to serve her majesty we had better get some sleep."

Gina allowed her friend to lead her to their room. When they reached the door, she took one last look down the hallway. That day had been interesting, but she was sure it would only get more interesting in the weeks to follow.

* * *

**So another chapter ends. I'll start the next one soon, promise! My Thursday's are wide open, so I should have plenty of time to write then. =D What did you think? Drop a review if you want; they make me smile! 3**


	10. Setting Sail

**I'm sorry for the delay, but I'm posting now! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. 3 The past couple of weeks have been crazy: I had a final last Tuesday, went home and saw everyone there, and I flew out of GR to sunny Arizona a week ago. It's been gorgeous, but that is no excuse. Please forgive me for the delay! I will try my best to update again soon, but with the holidays and my 50 billion relatives (so I exaggerate… xP Only by a few!) to visit once I return home it may not happen until school begins again after the new year… Sorry!**

**The usual disclaimer applies. Not mine, not mine, mine, mine, mime, mine. You can figure that one out. XD

* * *

**

Gina stared at the trunk in front of her, wondering if she had remembered to pack everything she would need for the upcoming long trip. She knelt in front of it and shuffled a few things around, mentally counting the amount of days she would be gone and checking that she had the proper amount of each item. She decided she should add a couple of things and pushed the items already packed down so she could fit a few more things alongside them.

In just a little under an hour she and Christina would be leaving the court and traveling to Spain. Lord O'Connor had sent word that he wished for her to travel to him and she had agreed with one provision; Gina had to accompany her. Gina had decided almost immediately that she would go with her; she didn't have any real reason not to go, and it would give her some space from Henry and Micah. For nearly three weeks she had been hiding out in the kitchens when she wasn't serving the Queen, and she was getting tired of dodging the two men. She wanted to get away and clear her head; this trip promised her exactly that.

Gina hummed to herself as she shuffled her things around once more before closing the trunk and slamming the lid shut. She moved to the bed and plopped down onto it, sighing with pleasure at the few moments of relaxation. A few seconds later someone knocked at the door. She sighed, dragged herself up, and answered the door with a fake smile. At the door were a couple of servants sent to gather their things for the trip. She showed them what would be going they should take and watched as they hauled the things through the door. As the last trunk was being carried out, Christina came bustling through the door, a wide grin on her face.

Christina rushed over to Gina and grabbed her friend's hands. Gina smiled at her and waited patiently for her friend to tell her why she was so happy. She had been acting strange for about a week or so, and Gina was hoping that whatever Christina was going to announce would have something to do with that.

"Gina, I have something to tell you."

Gina rolled her eyes at the woman.

"What took you so long to talk to me about this? You've been acting strange for a week now!"

Christina frowned.

"I didn't think you had noticed."

Gina huffed.

"Of course I did! I can tell when something's wrong with you, Sissy."

Christina smiled again, pleased that Gina didn't know what she was going to tell her. She pulled her friend to the small stools they had placed near their one window and they sat down. She scooted forward to the edge of her seat and folded her hands in her lap.

"You know how much I did not want to go to Spain when the King sent Liam there. I really do prefer the English court; I spent about a week at the Spanish court and I did not find it as… amusing as I do our court here."

Gina nodded. She had asked why she hadn't accompanied her husband when they first became friends and knew the story.

"I would have never stayed here if I had found this out sooner, but I'm glad I did stay. You've been an excellent friend, almost a sister to me, and I wanted to tell you first... I'm going to be a mother!"

Gina's jaw dropped as she absorbed the information. Thinking back on the past couple of months she knew she should have paid better attention to her friend instead of being so wrapped up in her own life, but Christina hadn't been throwing up or showing any other common signs of pregnancy.

She smiled, excited for her friend. She leapt up and wrapped her arms around her.

"Sissy, this is such great news! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Christina smiled and hugged her friend back.

"I wasn't sure before today. I wanted to be sure before telling anyone, including you, and I want to tell Liam before I tell anyone else aside from you. Promise you won't tell anyone else?"

Gina smiled and knelt by her friend's chair. She reached up and tucked a piece of hair back into Christina's hairnet.

"Of course I won't tell anyone. Who would I speak to about you? I won't even have time to run to the kitchens to tell Kat before we leave!"

Christina smiled and stood, pulling Gina up with her.

"I knew you would keep it to yourself. I can't wait to tell Liam… I'm sure he will be so pleased!"

She beamed at her friend and they jumped around a bit before another knock came from the door. Both woman turned to see who was there and were met with the sight of Henry watching them, obviously amused with woman.

"What are you ladies so excited about?"

They looked at each other and giggled. Christina curtsied and, giving Gina one more pointed look and shushing her, excused herself to check on the coach. Henry watched her leave the room and turned back to Gina with a questioning look in his eyes. Gina shook her head, eyes twinkling with her secret.

"It's a secret. I'm not allowed to tell."

Henry moved towards her, a small grin on his face.

"What if I ordered you to tell me?"

She grinned and shook her head again.

"You don't really want to know, do you? You're just here to pester me."

Henry stopped about a foot in front of her and stared into her eyes.

"I came to wish you a safe trip and to request that on your return you join me for supper."

Gina gave him a wicked grin and cocked her head to the side.

"What if I meet someone at the Spanish court and decide to stay there?"

He knew she was teasing, but he didn't like the thought of her with someone else. He scowled and ran a hand down her arm.

"You would never do that. You are far too infatuated with me."

Her nose crinkled and she looked up at him thoughtfully.

"Hmm… You shouldn't be so sure of yourself. You are completely resistible, my lord."

He stared at her for a moment before stepping closer and lifting his hand to her face and stroking it gently. He leaned in, just inches from her lips. He moved his other hand to her waist and pulled her in toward him. Her pulse and breath sped up as she watched him hungrily.

"Are you sure?"

"I…"

She blinked a couple of times and was leaning toward him when they heard someone cough from near the door. Gina leapt back out of his grasp and looked to see Christina watching her with a look very similar to the one Henry had when he came into the room.

Christina chuckled at the startled look on Gina's face. She curtsied to the King again and straightened up quickly.

"Gina, our coach is ready and we really must be going."

Gina gave her friend a nod of thanks. She looked to Henry and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you for your kind farewell, your majesty. We will come to pay our respects as soon as we return."

Henry nodded and watched as Gina curtsied low and followed Christina out of the room. He ran a hand through his hair and heaved a sigh. He left the room, slamming the door behind himself.

'_Six weeks… she'll be back in six weeks, and then I'll convince her. She will be mine.'_

The girls hurried through the halls in silence. Gina was still thinking of Henry and she didn't want to talk about it; after all, Christina was the pregnant one. She didn't want to call attention away from her friend, which she had been doing enough of.

They reached the courtyard and were helped into the carriage. The ride was silent except for the clattering of horse hooves and wheels down the road. Gina leaned against one side of the carriage and drifted to sleep.

* * *

Christina shook Gina awake as soon as she could see the ship.

"Gina… Gina, wake up. We're almost there."

Gina sat up suddenly, gasping. She looked wildly around before realizing where she was. Her face fell and her eyes watered.

"We're in England, aren't we?"

Her question was more of a statement. Christina just nodded, used to it by then.

"Was it the same dream?"

Gina nodded, calming down with each breath. She looked out the window and sighed.

"It was the same one. I don't know where I was, but it was so loud!"

"Were the strange cloth and the speaking box in it again?"

Gina nodded.

"It was exactly the same. I wish I could remember something else, though! It doesn't make any sense to me without other memories to explain it!"

The carriage came to a stop and a man opened the door. They looked out to see Micah grinning in at them. The girls exchanged a look as he held out a hand to help one of them down. Gina gave Christina a pointed look and Christina took the offered hand. Gina clambered out before he could turn to help her down, which earned her a disapproving look from a small group of women passing by. She grinned sheepishly and waved at them, to which they huffed and turned their heads away.

Micah turned to help Gina down only to find her standing behind him already. He chuckled lightly at her and shook his head.

"You are always surprising me, Lady Gina."

She gave him an indignant look and huffed.

"Trust me, Lord Crawley, it is not for your benefit that I do the things I do."

The way Gina said his name sounded more like an insult than anything else, which made Christina interrupt. She cleared her throat to get their attention.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your… moment… but will you be accompanying us to Spain, Lord Crawley?"

Micah shook his head, clearly irked by the fact.

"I am merely here to be sure that everything is in order before you set sail. The King wanted to be sure that you would both be comfortable in your travels."

Gina smirked at the mention of Henry. She cocked her head to the left and smiled innoccently.

"The King sent _you_? Why?"

Micah's eyes grew dark as he turned to face her.

"Perhaps now is not the time to discuss these matters. Your ship is ready to sail; they are waiting on the two of you."

Gina laughed. She walked to Christina and offered her arm.

"Let's not keep the good people waiting then Sissy. Shall we?"

Christina gave her a disapproving look, but looped her arm around Gina's.

"Come on then. The sooner we board the sooner we can leave. Thank you for your assistance, Lord Crawley. I'm sure we shall be reacquainted upon our return."

He gave the woman a short bow and walked away, issuing orders to servants that were carrying items to be loaded on the ships.

Gina giggled at her friend.

"Oh, come on Sissy! You know I can't stand the man. Let me have a little fun!"

Christina rolled her eyes.

"Let's just get on the ship. I know I for one would like to be in a bed before we set sail or else I'll have the most horrible sea-sickness…"

Gina grinned and pulled her friend toward the boat.

"We had better hurry then; don't want you emptying your stomach on me!"

Christina swatted at her and followed, chuckling at her friend's efforts to lighten the mood.

"Don't you worry, Gina. If I vomit anywhere it will be on you!"

Gina's nose cricked and she cringed.

"Bleche! You would have to catch me first!"

Gina ran off toward the boat, reaching the place to board before her. Christina stopped just before boarding and looked back toward where they had come then looked out over the ocean. She settled one hand on her stomach and smiled lightly. In a few days she would be with her husband again, sharing the good news with him. She took a deep breath and boarded the ship, following Gina and a servant to their room.

This was going to be a long couple of days.

* * *

**Ok, so it was short, but all the same; I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did (or if you didn't) I would greatly appreciate the reviews! Thank you all, and good night!**


	11. Welcome Back

**Hello again! I feel the need to apologize for the amount of time between chapters... It makes me sad when I can't think of anything good enough to write for you all! Over the past few weeks a few people have added this story to their watch list... Thank you! I'm happy that you've enjoyed it enough to want to stick with it, and I promise to do my best not to disappoint anyone. I hope everyone had a great New Years and a very Happy Holiday season overall.**

**Enjoy, and please feel free to drop a note with any suggestions, comments, or constructive criticism. Thank you!  
**

* * *

Gina sat up, startled. She glanced around the room confused for a few seconds before remembering that she was back in the English court. She let out a sigh and flopped back onto her bed.

She, Christina, and Liam had returned just the day before. When they had arrived in Spain, Christina had told him her news and he had been so excited about it that it was practically the only thing he spoke about since. When the woman's trip came to a close and it was time for them to leave for home, Liam had surprised Christina by leaving with them.

Liam and Christina had their own rooms, so Gina was once more alone in hers. She was sure someone would be along to share it with her eventually, but she would miss staying in the same room as her friend. They still spent time together, but even in Spain they spend less time together than she was used to.

Gina sighed and rolled over onto her side, looking up to the small window. A very faint light was beginning to brighten the sky as dawn broke slowly. She closed her eyes and thought back to the trip home. The rocking of the ship put her to sleep quickly, and just remembering it was helping her to fall back asleep.

* * *

_Gina looked around her. There were two other people with her, and one of them looked a lot like Christina. The clothes were different from Christina's, though. They were the clothes that were in her dreams, what she could only assume were memories from another place and time._

_She looked up at the other person standing next to woman who resembled her friend so closely. He was tall and dark, imposing but safe. They smiled down at her and he slipped an arm around the woman next to him. A boy no older than 14 brushed past her and the couple held their arms out for him to join them. He walked into their embrace and peered out over the man's arm at Gina._

_They were familiar. She watched as others joined the trio. Two woman who looked identical to the first stood to their right with men and children around them. A younger man and an older woman joined the first man, and they were joined by a woman and a man who embraced them like the other couples. They all looked to her, waiting for her to join them. Tears stung Gina's eyes as she realized that she could not go to them. The first young boy reached out to her, and she tried to reach for him as well but she was caught._

_When she didn't go to them they began to disappear one by one. She tried to call to them, to make them stay, but no sound came from her lips. The original trio were the last to go, all three with unshed tears glistening in their eyes.

* * *

_

Gina woke with a start, tears streaming down her face. She tried to hold on to the picture of the people in her dream, but they were fading too quickly. She wiped her eyes and pushed herself up.

The sun was now high in the sky. She could see it in her window, but only just. It was nearly past the point in the sky where it could be seen through their high window, which meant she had sleep for too long.

Gina sighed and took a deep, cleansing breath. She didn't have time for hysterics; she, Christina and Liam were supposed to see the King. He had been occupied the night before when they arrived so they were instructed to go to him the following morning. She took one last look out the window before turning away to prepare herself for the day.

A few minutes later there was a knock at her door. Christina came into the room in a whirl, as if she hadn't spent most of the prior day retching over the side of the ship.

"Gina, what in the world are you doing not dressed? Did you just wake up?"

Gina yawned and rolled her eyes at her friend. She peeked around her to see if Liam had followed her in. Christina watched her look and huffed.

"He doesn't go everywhere with me! He went to the King already to inform him of his early return. We were all supposed to be there before now, you lazy girl. Get dressed!"

Gina had to stop herself from rolling her eyes again and turned to her gowns. She grabbed one at random, not even looking to see what she had grabbed. She heard Christina sigh and turned to look at her.

"What?"

Christina stepped forward and grabbed the offensive dress out of Gina's hands.

"You wore this already."

Gina stared at her friend, not comprehending what that had to do with anything.

"I have worn this already. Am I not allowed to re-wear gowns?"

Christina's nose crinkled and she tossed the drab brown gown to the side.

"Not that one, you don't. Horrible color, especially on you. How about that nice blue and green one? I remember Henry liking you in green..."

Gina grabbed the brown one off the floor and looked at it.

"I would rather not attract his attention again, Sissy. It's just too much. I-"

She was interrupted by the sound of someone at the opened it to find Liam on the other side.

"The King requests both of your presence before he will meet with me. He seems rather adamant.

Christina sighed.

"I suppose there will be no time to convince you to wear the other, then?"

Gina's face broke into an evil grin.

"The King has commanded our presence. There's no time to argue over clothing."

Christina sighed and followed Liam out of the room muttering under her breath.

* * *

Christina and Gina stood slightly apart from the grouping of men in the room. They hadn't been able to speak with Henry so far, but Liam was part of the small mob. They were all speaking about a new ambassador to Spain, and Henry wasn't pleased with having to choose someone else.

Liam stepped away from the men and gestured for the woman to step forward. Christina went to her husband's side with Gina trailing not far behind.

Liam cleared his throat and waited for the King to acknowledge him. Henry looked up at him in annoyance.

"Yes, Lord O'Connor?"

Liam bowed low and the woman followed suit.

"Your majesty, my wife and I have happy news that will explain my return to court. She tells me she did not tell anyone save Lady Mohr before her journey to Spain so she could inform me before anyone else. The lady and I are expecting our first child."

Henry stared at them for a few moments before walking forward. He gestured for them to stand and grasped Liam's arm.

"Congratulations O'Connor. Lady Christina. You are of course welcome back at court for the duration of your wife's pregnancy, but once the child is born and grown a few months you will resume your position in the Spanish court, understood?"

Liam nodded and thanked the King for his graciousness. Henry dismissed him with a wave. The other men around him were dismissed as well. Gina turned to leave with Liam and Christina, but a hand grasped her arm before she reached the door.

Without thinking, she spun toward the person who had grabbed her and her fist shot out, aimed for the throat. Henry stopped her hand before it could hit him, and she was left staring into his eyes. They both looked surprised, and then Gina's surprise turned to embarrassment. She blushed and her head dropped down.

"I apologize, my lord. I seem to be a bit skittish today."

Henry chuckled and let her go. He placed a hand under her chin and raised her head to see him.

"What has you so wound up, my lady?"

Gina looked away for a moment then looked back at him. She wanted to tell him about her dreams, but she was afraid that he would think her insane or worse. She knew she couldn't tell him but she wanted to so badly at that moment that it was almost painful to not share it with him.

Henry waited a few seconds before speaking again.

"I've missed you. Court has been much less… interesting without you here."

He waited for a response, but she remained silent. He lowered his hand and stepped back.

"Welcome back, Lady Gina."

Gina took a deep breath to steady herself and she brushed a stray hair behind her ear. She smoothed her skirts and toyed with the lace on the end of her sleeve. She looked back to Henry and forced a small smile.

"Thank you, your highness. I missed England while I was away. I do not believe I will be leaving it again anytime soon. I found the Spanish court rather… bland."

He smiled softly and nodded, pleased that she wouldn't be leaving again. He turned and walked to a table set against a wall. He poured himself a glass of wine and swirled it before swallowing it all in one gulp. He poured himself a second glass and sipped at it slowly, savoring the taste this time. It was a gift from the Spanish ambassador, who had visited his home and come back the same time Gina and Christina had.

Gina watched him as he turned back to her. She gave him another strained smile looked to the windows just past him. There was a perfect view of the gardens, and she had missed them. The day was lovely and she was hoping to be able to go out and enjoy it.

Henry followed her gaze to see the gardens. He grinned to himself and turned to her.

"Lady Gina, do you remember speaking about joining me for a meal before you left on your journey?"

Gina looked back to him, shaking herself out of the daze she had been in for a few seconds. She swallowed and nodded, not sure what to say.

"Would you care to join me for supper?"

She thought about it for a second. She wanted to spend some time with him, but she wasn't sure if she should. Before she left for Spain she had been getting too close to him, far too friendly for her own good. She knew she had to force herself to stay away from him or she would find herself in his arms again or worse- in his bed.

Even knowing all of this, she couldn't help herself from nodding in agreement. Henry sat his wine down and clapped his hands together.

"Tonight then. I'll send someone to bring you when it is time."

She nodded again and curtsied low.

"Thank you, my lord."

He motioned for her to stand and walked toward her as if to embrace her when there was a knock at the door behind him. He sighed in frustration and turned to answer it. He told the person at the door that he would be with them in a moment and turned to see that Gina was gone. He shook his head and gestured for the small group of men to enter the room.

_'How does she do that?'_

Gina leaned against the door and groaned. Her mind had screamed 'no' when he asked her to join him for supper, but her body had answered 'yes' before her mind convinced it that it was a bad idea. She pushed herself up and shook her head, disgusted with herself. When she was in Spain she had promised herself that she would behave when she got back and that things would be different with Henry, but it seemed that she was back where she had been when she had left.

She hurried through the halls to her room. She didn't want to speak to anyone right then, and she was still tired from the day before. When she reached her room she fell into her bed and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Several hours later Gina woke to the sound of someone at her door. She groaned and yelled for them to go away, but the knocking only became louder. She rolled out of bed and stumbled to the door.

"What in the name of God are you doing banging on my-"

She opened the door to see Henry standing there, looking rather angry. She stopped in her tracks and stared with wide eyes.

He stepped forward, invading her space.

"I sent three different people up to get you and you did not come down. Was I mistaken in thinking that you were joining me for supper?"

Gina stared, mind still blank. She shook her head, trying to shake the fog out of her mind. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to focus. She stifled a yawn and wiped at her eyes again.

Henry watched her and sighed. He couldn't muster up anger at her while she was looking so confused. It was obvious by her appearance that she had been asleep, and by the dark circles under her eyes she needed it.

"I'll be back soon. When I return I expect you to be ready."

He turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Gina watched him go, and when he was gone she looked down at herself. She groaned at the sight of her rumpled dress. She ran a hand through her hair and felt like screaming. Not only was she still exhausted but she looked like hell and there was no one for her to blame.

Gina stripped out of what she was wearing and stared at her choices. She was feeling petty enough that she didn't want to wear the gown Christina has suggested that morning, but there was nothing else she could find that she would rather have on. She slid the dress up and secured it around her. She didn't feel like putting more on than she had to; after all, she would just be going back to her room and going back to sleep after they ate. Once she had on her blue silk slippers she turned to her small mirror. She tried to smooth it out so she wouldn't have to put it up, but she was fighting a losing battle. She twisted it up and secured it with the pin Christina had given her the day of the celebration for the King's sister.

Henry walked through the door as she splashed water on her face. She wiped her face with a small bit of cloth she had laying next to the rose water and turned to see Henry standing there. She let out a small yelp before she could stop herself.

"You frightened me!"

Henry simply held out a hand, waiting for her to take it. She stepped forward, taking his hand and curtsying low before being pulled back up and led out of her room and down the corridor.

Gina walked alongside Henry silently, waiting for him to speak first. When they reached the corridor that lead to his chambers she was confused that they did not turn there. She gave him a questioning glance, but he still said nothing. Soon he was leading her through a door and she was surprised to see that they were outside. He led her into the garden to the small pond that she had missed while she was gone.

Off to one side of the pond were a pair of lounging chairs with a table in the middle that was crowded with covered dishes. There were several smaller tables and stools with thick candles which were all lit. They gave a soft glow in the twilit evening air. Henry led Gina to one of the chairs and when she was settled in he sprawled on his.

As soon as they were seated two servants appeared and began to offer the dishes. They chose the dishes they wanted and were soon each handed a plate full of their choices.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Gina sat her food on a table and cleared her throat.

"I need to apologize. It seems that I do not react to traveling well. I never meant to insult your majesty, I was simply... out of sorts."

Henry chewed in silence for another minute before setting his food down as well. He turned to her and nodded.

"I will accept your apology. Perhaps in the future you will choose to remain here instead of traveling."

Gina nodded and smiled lightly.

"Thank you, my lord."

Henry swung his legs around and patted the open space next to him.

"Come join me, Lady Gina."

Gina stood and slowly walked to the chair. She lowered herself to sit next to Henry, but she put as much distance as she could between them. He looked annoyed for a second but the flash was gone soon after it came.

"Lady Gina, have you recovered any memories to share with me?"

Gina looked down at her skirt and debated telling him partial truths. She had been thinking of ways to edit the truth so she could share some of it with him, and she thought that maybe she had something that would work. She looked to him and nodded.

"I have regained a couple of memories, but they are small things. The only one of any value I regained just this morning. I was standing surrounded by people who looked familiar, but I couldn't go to any of them. They were just out of reach. I believe they were my family..."

Henry stiffened at the word family. Gina saw his hand ball into a fist and couldn't help herself from reaching out to him and placing one of her hands over his.

"The family that I saw I believe were my parents and who I think could be my brother. Aunts, uncles, and cousins. I didn't see anyone who looked like they could be my husband or my own children."

He looked relieved as he placed his other hand over hers.

"It is a happy thing that you are regaining these memories. I hope soon that you will remember the rest so you can share it all with me."

Gina blushed and looked away for a moment. She looked back to him and was about to say something when she was interrupted by one of the servants.

"I am sorry to disturb you, your majesty, but the ambassador from France has arrived. I was instructed to inform you the moment he arrived."

Henry sighed and dismissed the man with a wave of his hand. The servant bowed and scurried off into the night.

Gina looked at his face and smiled again. He grasped her hand and brought it to his mouth, brushing her knuckles lightly with his lips.

"I am sorry to go, but I must. Please feel welcome to enjoy the food, and I will send someone along shortly to escort you back to your room. Good night, Lady Gina."

He stood and left her sitting on the lounge chair alone, staring into the night.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you'd like to leave a review, it would be greatly appreciated!**

**Here's a shout-out to Lady Christina O'Connor, MrsPhantomSylvia, RachelGoesRawr, Lady Isabelle Black, AnGeLFaCe S2, Diina, HistoryNerd, and Katie R. for their reviews throughout this story so far. I really have appreciated them; they make my day! **


	12. Unexpected Moments

**Two chapters in two days; I'm on a roll! Haha!**

**Here's a special shout-out to Nemu-Chan and (of course) Lady Christina O'Connor for their reviews. You guys are the best, and this chapter is here so quickly because of you! 3**

**Please enjoy this chapter; I know I did!

* * *

**Gina walked through the freshly fallen snow, listening to the sound of it crunching as she walked along, enjoying the look and feel of it under her feet. When she had woken up nearly ten months before the snow had been long since melted. She had been told that they had an unusually short winter that season, which prompted talk that the current winter would be worse than they had encountered in a long while. Gina acknowledged that it would be a bad thing in conversation, but in her own mind she thought it would be nice to have the blanket of white stay on the ground for a long time. She was quite fond of it so far.

She looked back to see Christina and Liam slowly making their way back to the warmth of their rooms. Christina was about to begin her laying-in and had somehow convinced her overly-worrisome husband to take her outside for a walk one last time before she was stuck in a room for over a month, but she had tired quickly. She had managed to put it off until then but it had been a struggle. Gina was convinced that her friend carried more than one child in her belly; Christina wouldn't discuss it either way.

The ice glistened on the pond. It had frozen over two days prior, and she had been wanting to go out onto it since the moment she saw it. She hadn't had the chance to because she had been occupied helping Christina prepare things for the arrival of her child, or children as Gina insisted. They had been sewing things for the baby when it arrived, and if she did say so herself they had done a fine job of it.

Gina reached the ponds edge and stepped down onto it cautiously. When she had her full weight on it and she didn't hear any creaking or other strange sounds she stepped forward. Still nothing happened. She jumped up and down and heard the _thump thump_, but it sounded thick enough. The pond wasn't very deep even in the deepest spot, but she decided to stay near the bank just in case.

She took another step and slid a little, giggling as she steadied herself. She took a deep breath, reveling in the way the crisp air felt as it filled her lungs as she slid herself forward, keeping her foot on the ice as she did. She glided a couple of feet before stopping, arms out for balance. She smiled, proud of her self for not falling. She tried it again and this time put her other foot out before stopping, effectively gliding several feel. She laughed as she slid around the pond.

Henry had been out walking in the snow with Brandon and a few others when he spotted Gina on the pond. He had excused himself from the group of men and ignored their comments as he walked away from them toward her. She had stopped sliding around and was twirling on the ice by the time he reached the pond's edge.

"Lady Gina!"

She started and slipped, falling to the ice before she could catch herself. Henry burst into laughter as the bewildered look on her face turned to embarrassment. He made his way over to her still laughing, but she had already stood up and brushed herself off by the time he reached her. She brushed herself off and scowled at him, her expression clearly showing that she wasn't as amused as he was.

"I'm going to have bruises the size of Europe tomorrow because of you."

He chuckled and held a hand out to help her off of the pond. She ignored it and used the ground as leverage to help herself up. She collected a small amount of snow before standing and began to pack it into a ball. He crossed his arms in front of him and grinned.

"Although I found it amusing, I never meant to cause you any harm. Will you forgive me?"

She pursed her lips as she pretended to consider it for a moment, passing the ball of snow from one hand to the other.

"Hmm... I will forgive you. Right after this!"

She flung the snow and hit him square in the chest. He stared at her with wide eyes for a moment before narrowing them and giving her an evil smile.

"Well, if it was a war you wanted why did you not say so?"

She giggled and turned to run as he bent down and collected a handful of snow. She was several feet away when he straightened up and took aim. Gina shrieked as the ball of snow hit her in the back of her head. She stopped and turned slowly.

"Now it's war!"

They began flinging snow back and forth until Gina was laughing so hard that she could scarcely breathe. She collapsed in the snow dramatically as the final snow ball hit her.

"You win! I surrender!"

He grinned at her words and raised his arms triumphantly.

"Of course I won! I am the greatest marksman in all the lands."

She rolled her eyes at his words and smirked.

"You have the biggest ego in all the lands as well!"

He grinned and raised one eyebrow.

"That isn't the only thing about me that is the biggest."

She gasped in mock horror.

"Your majesty! That is hardly appropriate conversation to be had with a lady!"

He stared at her for a second, taken aback by her seriousness before she burst into laughter again. He scowled at her, but his eyes were still sparkling with laughter. He closed the space between them and held out a hand to help her up, and this time she took it and allowed him to help her up. He pulled with a little more force than was entirely necessary and she ended up in his arms, inches from his face.

The stared at each other, the mood quickly changing from playful to something else. Their breath mingled as they stared at each other for several seconds before she lowered her head and pulled away. He shook his head and stepped back as well. Gina was the first to speak.

"I should be going. Lady Christina is about to begin her laying-in and I told her I would be there with her..."

Henry nodded and glanced over her shoulder at something that caught his eyes. He could have sworn he saw someone in the trees only moments before, but there was no one there now.

"I have business to attend to as well. Give Lady O'Connor my regards."

She curtsied low as he dismissed her. She hurried back toward the entrance to the castle, glancing back at Henry to see him watching her go before disappearing through the door.

* * *

Gina fluffed the pillow behind Christina, attempting to make her more comfortable. She had just gotten into the bed, and already she was restless and annoyed that everyone besides her were up and walking around. She laid back onto the pillows and groaned.

"I do not want to be in this stuffy room. It's horrible!"

Gina sighed and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, annoyed. She brushed her hands on her skirt then settled them onto her hips.

"I refuse to go over this again. You will stay in that bed until your children are born-"

Christina began to protest, but Gina held out a hand to stop her.

"No. You will stay there and keep my godchildren safe until they come into the world, understood?"

Christina pouted a little but one glare from Gina stopped her from protesting more, instead changing the subject.

"How do you know you'll be the godmother? Perhaps Liam and I would prefer someone else over you."

Gina glared again.

"I know because if you don't name me the godmother of at least of them, I will never speak to you again."

Christina grinned and closed her eyes.

"That does have it's appeal..."

Gina smacked her friend's arm lightly.

"Stop being so ridiculous. You know you would miss me terribly."

Christina's expression turned serious. She opened her eyes, sat up, and reached for Gina's hand. She took it and squeezed tight.

"I would miss you terribly. You do know that I consider you a part of my family, my own sister, don't you? I don't know how I would get through this without you."

Gina rolled her eyes and sat on the bed.

"Of course I know that. Why do you think I keep you around?"

Christina laughed and relaxed back once again.

"You always manage to make me smile."

Gina grinned and patted her friend's hand. She stood and pulled her hand away after one final squeeze.

"Rest. I'll be back soon; don't go anywhere."

Christina nodded and closed her eyes.

"Where do I have to go? You probably have guards posted at my door to keep me in here."

Gina smiled lightly and turned back to look at Christina.

"I will if you try to escape, Sissy. I just have your well-being in mind."

Christina nodded again and pulled a coverlet up over her.

"Hurry back."

Gina grasped the door handle and pulled the door open.

"I will."

She pulled the door shut behind her and sighed. She was glad it wasn't her in there. She knew that if she ever had to be secluded in a stuffy room like Christina was she would be much worse than Christina was about it. She crept past a snoring Liam who had fallen asleep in a chair in front of the fireplace and silently slipped out of the room.

* * *

Gina found Kat just outside of the kitchen headed toward the servant's quarters. She had a bundle with her that Gina had asked her for a few days before when she knew that Christina would begin her laying-in. Inside of the bundle were a couple of sour-breads and a package of sweet meat which Christina had been craving.

"Thank you again Kat. This should make her day a bit brighter."

Kat smiled and shook her head.

"There's no need to be thanking me, girl. I'm happy to be of service."

Gina grinned and gave the woman a hug.

"Still, thank you. I do appreciate it. I'm sorry I'm not able to visit longer, but I told her I wouldn't be gone long. I don't want her to get up and start wandering around."

Kat nodded waved her arms, brushing the apology away.

"Go. We'll have time to gossip some other time."

Gina nodded and thanked her again before darting back toward the O'Connor's rooms.

* * *

Christina was restless. She turned from one side to the other before huffing in displeasure. She was tired, but could not sleep. She ended up on her back staring at the canopy overhead. She threw the blanket off of herself, suddenly too warm. She shifted around and groaned. The shifting had disturbed the baby, who was now pressing their tiny feet onto her bladder. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and slowly shuffled to the chamber pot in the corner of the room. After relieving herself, she began back to the bed when she felt something wet rushing over her legs. She gasped and cried out when pain shot through her.

"LIAM!"

He came crashing through the door, eyes wide.

"Liam, the baby is coming _now_."

He rushed over to her and helped her to the bed.

"I'll fetch the midwife and physician."

She nodded and cried out in pain again.

"GO!"

* * *

Gina entered the room and was nearly knocked down by Liam as he ran past her. Her eyes widened and she dropped the package to the floor.

"Sissy?"

She rushed into the room to see Christina sitting up in bed, doubled over with a grimace of pain on her face. She hurried to her side and grabbed her hand.

"Sissy, what happened?"

Christina grasped her friend's hand and shook her head.

"I don't know! I had to use the chamber pot and when I was done I was almost back to the bed when it started. Liam went to fetch the midwife and physician. The pains are so horrible, Gina! Make them stop!"

Gina frowned and ran a hand soothingly over her friend's forehead.

"You'll be alright."

A few minutes and another contraction later, Liam came rushing into the room followed closely by a small group of people. They all began to prepare for the birth and Gina slipped away from the bed, giving them room to work. Liam grasped her hand and leaned in close, whispering words of comfort. After a few minutes more one of the woman shooed Liam out of the room. Gina took his place by the bed and held her hand as the waiting began.

* * *

After six hours and what seemed to be enough screaming to raise the dead, Christina lay in a bed with fresh coverings, holding two small but healthy baby boys. Liam had been allowed back into the room and they were staring at the children with the fascination of first-time parents. Gina gave one last look at the little family before slipping out of the room.

She closed the door behind her and sighed in relief. She had been afraid for Christina that the babies wouldn't make it because of the premature date of their birth, but they both seemed to be fine. She was exhausted, so she decided to let Christina and Liam have some time to themselves.

She made her way to her room as quickly as she could, ready to change out of her clothes and go to bed.

She stepped through her door and reached for the string on her bodice, about to untie it when she heard a noise behind her. She spun around, heart racing. Suddenly she was quite awake.

Standing between her and the door was Lord Micah. He grinned at the sight of her with her hand on her bodice, thinking of what lay beneath.

"What are you doing here, Crawley?"

He raised an eyebrow and took a step forward.

"I saw you this afternoon by the pond with the King. What are you playing at, Gina?"

Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her breast.

"What I do with my time is no concern of yours. Leave now before I call for guards to remove you from my room!"

He shook his head and stepped closer, causing her to take a step back.

"Gina, would you really do that? I simply wanted to speak to you. Do you remember our conversation a few months ago in the corridor?"

She nodded, glaring.

"I do remember. I remember telling you that I was not interested."

He laughed lightly at that.

"As I remember, you simply stated that I would have to speak to the King about courting you."

Gina shook her head again.

"He would never give you permission."

Micah shrugged.

"Perhaps I don't care for permission."

Her eyes widened.

"You wouldn't dare."

He grinned and stepped closer, causing her to step back again. The back of her legs were brushing the edge of her bed now. Her pulse sped up and she tried to push the panic down. If she were panicking she wouldn't be able to fight back if he tried to force himself on her.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Her mind was racing as she though of reasons to give him before coming to the most reasonable one.

"I'm under the protection of the King. He would never let such an injustice go unpunished."

He smirked and closed the gap between them, standing only centimeters away from her. He leaned in close and pressed his cheek to hers so his mouth was right by her ear.

"_I guarantee that you will be begging for more when I'm done with you._"

Gina squeezed her eyes shut and stood as still as she could. She shook with the effort not to scream as his hands touched her shoulders and began to slide down her arms and onto her waist. When he laid the first kiss on her shoulders she took a deep breath to scream. Before she could there was a knock at the door and he groaned. He stepped back, eyes nearly black with lust. She glared at him furiously.

"Lady Gina? Are you in there?"

Gina recognized the sound of Liam's voice and sighed in relief.

"Yes! Come in!"

Liam pushed the door open and walked in, stopping and staring at the two standing in front of him. Crawley gave her one final lust-filled gaze before stalking past a suspicious-looking Liam who scowled at him. When he was gone Liam turned to Gina.

"Was he bothering you? Are you alright?"

Gina shook her head.

"I'm fine, but thank you for coming along when you did."

He nodded and peaked out into the corridor.

"He's gone. You can tell me what happened."

She shook her head yet again.

"Nothing happened. I'm fine. Now what's the matter, why aren't you with your family?"

He looked at her with doubt in his eyes, but he let it go.

"Christina sent me to make sure you returned to your rooms safely. She seemed worried that you may have passed out in one of the corridors or something of the sort."

Gina smiled lightly.

"It's just like her to think of something like that, even though she should be the one being fussed over. Go back to your family, Liam. They need you there with them."

He nodded and paused at the door.

"Are you sure you're alright here?"

She nodded.

"Go. Oh, and Liam?"

He stopped and looked back at her.

"Don't worry Christina with this. We need her to rest, not to worry about me."

He frowned, but nodded and closed the door behind him as he left the room. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She was thankful he had come in when he did, but she didn't want him to worry Christina about this. She had enough excitement for one day.

Gina locked the door and turned to her bed. She shuffled to it, suddenly even more tired than she had been when she left Christina and Liam's rooms. She climbed into bed fully dressed and drifted off into a restless sleep soon after pulling her coverlets up over her head.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Drop a review and tell me what you think if you would like. Thank you!**


	13. All Coming Back to Me

**Welcome back! I hope you've all had a good couple of days since we last met. I'm on a roll! Enjoy it while it lasts, because I'll be deep in the murky waters of college once more next week. =( **

**This chapter is devoted to BrokenAngel1753, Lady Christina O'Connor, and MrsPhantomSylvia for inspiring me to write so quickly. Those reviews really do mean a lot to me, no matter how small they are. Thank you so much for the motivation and the kind words! **

**On to the story! Enjoy!

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Gina stared out the frosted window, watching as the small carriage rolled out of the castle gates. In the carriage was the O'Connor family, heading back to Spain. The babies were about two months grown, and Henry had informed Liam that it was time for him to return to his post. When he told Christina that he would be leaving again, she decided that she wanted to keep her family together. Gina had been sad that Christina and the children were leaving, but they had promised to write often, and the family would be back when court adjourned for the summer. She had tearfully kissed Noah and Elijah goodbye and waved as they left.

Now she was watching them leave. When they were out of sight she wiped her eyes again and turned back to her room. She had been given leave to spend her time working with the seamstress and as a result there were piles of cloth, cushions with hundreds of little pins, and several baskets overflowing with string of all colors. The first day she decided she was more comfortable working in her own room, so the seamstress had allowed her to bring materials with her.

Gina shuffled through a pile of fabric until she found the one she was looking for. She was still feeling guilty about her feelings for the King, so she had drawn a pattern for a dress as a gift for the Queen. It was a pattern based off a design that Catherine seemed to favor with a few small changes. The colors were dark purple and light blue with gold trim. She had chosen the light blue not only for it's contrast, but because it matched lace that she had brought back from Spain some months ago. The gown was nearly finished, and with Christina and the children gone she finally had the time to complete it.

* * *

Almost an hour later she was standing in front of a finished gown, and she was quite proud of herself. She had finished sewing seed pearls onto the bodice the day before when she had found some spare time, and they glittered softly against the deep purple in the soft sunlight streaming through the window. The light blue silk of the inner lining peaked out of the slashed sleeves and where the purple skirt opened in the front. The lace at the end of the sleeves and at the top of the bodice was also a light blue to match the silk. It was a modest dress quite literally fit for a Queen.

Gina carefully folded the dress and placed it into the chest she had requisitioned from the seamstress. It was rather plain, with only a few jewels set in gold in the center of the lid. She secured the top and made sure it wouldn't open while she carried it. She took one last look around the room before collecting the chest and making her way to the Queen's chambers.

Queen Catherine was in her sitting room with her other ladies when Gina was escorted into the room. Although officially one of the Queen's ladies, she had not been actively serving in her household for some months now. She went down onto one knee when she was announced and waited for permission to rise. Catherine motioned for her to stand and Gina did, waiting for the Queen to speak first.

"Lady Gina, for what reason have you graced us with your presence today?"

Gina watched the Queen's eyes, looking for any sign of displeasure. Her words were more polite than they needed to be and the wording left her wondering if she were in fact welcoming her or if she were, in her own way, mocking her. The Queen's gentle smile never wavered, although there was a slight tightness to her eyes. Gina lifted the chest slightly and looked down at it.

"Your majesty, I have brought you a gift. I recently began working with one of the royal seamstresses, and my first gown is here in this chest, tailored specifically to you. I hope you are pleased with it."

Catherine stood and gestured for the chest to be brought to her. Gina stepped closer to the Queen and when she was a few feet away stopped and opened the lid. Catherine ran a hand over the fabric and smiled lightly.

"This is fine fabric, Lady Gina. Come; help me to try it on."

She turned and walked into her room. Gina followed her and once she was in the room the doors were pulled shut behind her. Catherine stood by her mirror, waiting for Gina. Gina fell back into the routine she had become accustomed to months prior and soon the Queen was smoothing a hand over the front of her new gown, looking at it appreciatively in her mirror. She turned to Gina and reached out to set her hand on her arm.

"This is a fine dress, Lady Gina. I am very pleased with it. Thank you."

Gina smiled and bowed her head.

"Thank you for the praise, your majesty. I wanted to find a way to apologize for disappearing for the past few months. I am pleased that you find the gown to your liking. I meant to have it finished so as to present it during Yuletide, but I was rather distracted helping Lady O'Connor with her newborn sons."

Catherine smiled again and lightly touched the lace at the top of the bodice, admiring Gina's handiwork.

"How are Lady O'Connor and her babes? I understand she has departed with her husband for Spain this day."

Her voice held a trace of wistfulness; no doubt she was thinking of her original home. It was plain to Gina then that the Queen missed her childhood home.

"I believe they are healthy. Lady Christina did not wish to separate her family when it was only just fully formed, and the physicians gave her permission to travel… I will miss them dearly, but they will be home soon."

The Queen nodded with satisfaction at her answer. Gina reached forward and lightly touched the lace on the sleeve.

"Your majesty, the lace adorning your gown comes from Spain. I brought it back with you in mind, so that you may have something that comforts you, reminds you of your place of origins while not drawing attention to the fact that you have something that comes from that place."

Catherine's eyes misted over for a second before she smiled and reached for Gina's hand. She grasped it tight and looked her over for a second.

"Lady Gina, when will you rejoin my ladies?"

Gina's smile reflected the Queen's as she shook her head lightly.

"My Queen, I feel as if I may be on the edge of a great discovery. Already in the past few nights I have been regaining bits and pieces of my old life that make sense of the few memories I have. Working with the seamstress, designing this gown for you… I believe that in doing this I will truly know who I am, which will either send me on to my true home or make it all the sweeter to rejoin your ladies and to serve you."

The Queen nodded her head and stepped back.

"As you please, Lady Gina. I am quite pleased to know that you are remembering yourself. Perhaps when you do you may come and serve me as you once did."

Gina nodded and curtsied low.

"Your majesty."

Catherine dismissed her and watched her go. She couldn't help thinking that she might feel more endearment toward her if her husband weren't so enamored with her, although the thoughtfulness of the gift was a step in and of itself.

* * *

Gina sat on a thick wool blanket underneath a slumbering oak. She was sketching another gown, but she was designing this one for Christina. Well, for Christina and herself. She wanted them to have matching gowns- they had spoken about it before, and now she was going to make it a reality. She was sure that Christina would be back to the shape she had before her pregnancy by the time she returned to England, so she was designing accordingly. She pursed her lips as she stared at the initial sketch. It needed a little bit of work, but it was close to perfect. She could almost see Christina twirling about with Elijah while she swayed Noah to sleep.

Gina sighed and settled back against the tree trunk, laying her drawing pad on the blanket next to her. Her cloak was thick and soft, and she pulled it closed tighter, reveling in the warmth it gave her. She closed her eyes and summoned the picture of the people she believed to be her family. The image danced on the back of her eyelids, and she smiled. She had seen them in her dreams several times a week since she had originally had it, and the image was burned into her. She found it comforting and nearly as warm as the cloak around her and the thick blanket she sat on.

She sat there for several minutes, listening to the sounds of the winter birds and the bare trees rustling in the wind. She took a deep breath of the icy air and sighed. Her face was stinging from the wind that had begun to blow, and she shivered. She stood up and collected her things quickly as the cold spread from her face to the rest of her body. She shook as she held the things she had in her arms and watched the wind blow the snow across the ground, fascinated by the sparkling swirls. As she watched the swirls she found herself becoming dizzy.

Gina shook her head in an attempt to clear it without much luck. She shuffled the items into one arm and lifted her free hand to her forehead. She squeezed her eyes tight as the headache increased. The pain was so great that she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. She dropped the blanket and her drawing instruments to the ground as she raised her other hand to join the first, threading her fingers into her hair and squeezing her head. Her eyes popped open when she heard a shout come from behind her, and the last sight she registered before giving in to the darkness was a dark cloak swirling around someone's shoes as she fell to the ground.

* * *

Images swirled in Gina's subconscious. She saw a young girl holding a baby, smiling up at her parents as the younger boy pulled at one of her curls. In another image she saw the same girl slightly older, crying on the lawn beneath a tree house as her mother kissed her skinned knee. Yet another had the same girl as a young teen in a room surrounded by other girls her same age all wearing glittering dresses preparing for a school dance.

The nicer memories began to morph into darker ones. The first was the girl in high school being reprimanded for skipping and failing classes. The next was that same teen being ejected from her fashion design class, the only class she cared about, because of her other grades. Another had the teen's mother crying in her father's arms as she walked out of the house with a suitcase and a backpack full of her most important things. After that the girl was in a shelter a long way from home, sleeping on a cot and crying herself to sleep.

The memories grew lighter after that. A woman in her mid thirties hiring the girl as her assistant after seeing some of her sketches. A big name designer noticing her wearing her own creation at a function and offering her a job on the spot as one of his designers. Finally there was an image of the girl meeting her parents and brother at an airport, where they all fell into each others arms with tears of joy at the reunion.

Other memories ebbed and flowed as she saw her whole life flash from one brightly lit image to another. The last memory she saw before going completely unconscious was the night she had disappeared from her neighbor's apartment. She saw Steve's face again, lit by the light of the machine in the kitchen before she lost all consciousness completely.

* * *

Micah had been watching Gina under the tree for several minutes before she stood up to leave. She had gotten a few feet from the trees before she stopped and stared at the dancing snow. When she had touched her forehead the first time he hadn't noticed anything was wrong. When she dropped her things and doubled over in pain he stepped out from behind the tree he had been behind and rushed toward her. He reached Gina just as she began to fall forward into the snow and managed to catch her before she was all the way down.

He called out to her, but when there was no response he lifted her up into his arms and began to run for the castle. He pushed inside and called for someone to help him. He was almost all the way to her room before physicians were swarming around. He attempted to answer their questions as they rushed into her room, but once he sat her on her bed he was pushed aside and found himself outside her room. He watched through the door for a moment before the door slammed shut and he was left staring at a wood door. He shook his head as he came out of his stupor and turned abruptly. He had to get away from there before someone began to ask what he had been doing when she fell; it would not do for someone to begin poking around in his business, especially given the amount of time he had spent over the past few months following her around. That would not do at all.

* * *

Henry was in his chambers, looking at a map when someone burst into the room unannounced. There wasn't time for him to yell, for him to be angry, before the other man spoke.

"Your majesty, Lord Crawley found Lady Gina near the pond in the garden unconscious. She was brought to her room where physicians are working on her now; people who saw her come in say her lips were blue as ice."

Henry bolted from the room without any comments. He was through the halls and pushing through the door to her room before anyone could stop him. What did stop him was the sight of Gina laying on the bed, her lips the color of ice as the man had told her. He watched as they covered her in blankets and wiped her face with warm rags. When there was nothing more to do most of the people left the room, leaving only a few to keep watch over her and to attempt to warm her.

A few hours later her lips had turned back to their natural color and her breathing was closer to normal, but the physician who had stayed in the room the longest had informed him that they weren't sure if she would wake that day or even the next, but that her chances improved with each stronger breath. Henry stayed by her side the rest of the day and into the night, falling asleep watching her for signs that she was waking.

* * *

Henry woke in the morning to a hand on his head, which was resting on Gina's bed. He looked up to see her eyes open, staring at him with new wonder in her eyes. He smiled and took her hand in his as he sat up. He ran his thumb over her knuckles before bringing her hand up to his lips for a soft kiss.

"Lady Gina, you had us worried."

Gina laughed lightly with the same wonder and looked around the room as if truly seeing it for the first time. He gave her a quizzical gaze which she responded to with a large grin.

"I remember everything. I know where I come from, I know who I am. I know who you are. Everything is so different, but everything is the same. I know everything, I know it all."

Henry's expression went from confused to excited in a matter of seconds.

"You mean to tell me that while you were on the brink of death yet again you regained all of the memories you had lost?"

She nodded, her smile still as wide as it could be. He pulled her close to him and held her for a moment before speaking again.

"Tell me everything."

She held on to him, thinking about her choices. If she told him the whole truth, he would at the very least think she had simply been dreaming. At the worst he could name her a witch and have her sent to the tower to be beheaded. She knew what he was capable of; she knew exactly what he had done to each of his wives, and they had to have meant more to him than she did. She swallowed hard thinking of the woman that he hadn't even met yet that would die an untimely death at his hands. She saw Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard in her minds eye like ghosts, screaming to her to be careful in what she said and did. She saw Queen Catherine before her in the gown she had sewn with her own hands, being cast off to live the last years of her life in a damp manor, alone and mourning the loss of her husband and the separation from her child.

No, Gina could not tell him everything. She could never tell anyone everything. She would edit the truth, change it as much as would be required to keep herself alive and safe. She pulled away from Henry, already putting together her story as she carefully guarded her emotions. She had to get it right, or there would be no chance of her finding a way home, which she was determined to do. She had to get back to her own time before she altered anything. She knew how it ended in any fictional tale of time-travel, and although they were works of fiction, she did not want to change the future she may still go back to.

Henry watched her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before weaving her changed history aloud.

"I remember my mother, father, and brother. I remember my family, and my home. I left it when I was six-teen years of age, and when I tried to go back there was no one there. They were gone. I found out weeks later that they were killed by thieves while traveling to visit my father's family. I remember being abducted by a group of men and being abused for weeks while we all traveled west. After we crossed the channel into England I escaped and found work as a seamstress' maid in a town not far from here. Some of the men who abused me happened through the town the same day you found me, and they chased me into your forest. I climbed a tree and hid until I was sure they were gone, and when I tried to leave the tree I slipped. After that I was unconscious and you rescued me."

She silently thanked Christina for telling her about the forest and how she had been found with broken branches around her as if she had fallen from the sky. She knew it was from the traveling back that the limbs had broken, but for now her explanation would suffice. She hoped.

Henry took in her story and seemed to accept it. He pulled her close again and whispered in her ear words of comfort. After a few minutes he moved her away from his body once more and pulled her chin up so they were looking in each others eyes.

"Lady Gina, does this mean..."

She smiled up at him lightly.

"I have no family waiting for me. I have no place to go. If your majesty would have me still, I would be most honored to work in your household in any position you may see fit. I have begun working with one of your royal seamstresses. Perhaps there is room for me to retain a permanent position?"

He looked taken aback by her response. He shook his head.

"Lady Gina, that is not what I meant. I was asking you if you would reconsider becoming my mistress. My only mistress; I would grace your bed and the Queen's bed, but no other."

Gina pursed her lips as she thought. She knew she didn't want to offend the Queen, but now that she knew who she was she remembered that it was not only common but practically encouraged for a man to take a mistress. She knew it wasn't offensive to her, and that if she were in her own time she would probably have given in far sooner.

"My lord, I ask that you give me time to re-acclimate myself with... myself. Ask me again in a few weeks time, and I will have an honest and true answer for you."

Henry nodded, accepting that answer without question. He placed a light kiss on her lips and pulled away, standing. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and gave her one last smile.

"I will leave you to, as you say, re-acclimate. Good day, Lady Gina."

She smiled and leaned into his hand as he pulled it from her face slowly and gently.

"Good day, your majesty."

She settled back on her pillows and closed her eyes as he took one more look at her from the door. He was so close to having her he could almost feel her already. He smiled to himself as he left, excited for the time to come when he would finally have his answer.

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**So, she has her memory back! I didn't quite know how to write this chapter, and I think it came out a bit choppy... any advice on how I could smooth it out or improve on it? Reviews are (as always!) welcome and encouraged. Thank you for reading and have a great day!**


	14. Giving In

**Hey, I'm incredibly sorry about the wait! I got caught up in the new quarter and distracted by all sorts of things, but the new chapter is here now! I hope you enjoy it!  
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**A big shout out to Sumi x3, Nemu-Chan, BrokenAngel1753, jaygal11, and of course Lady Christina O'Connor. Thank you so much for your reviews; this chapter is dedicated to you! Also I would like to welcome the new(er) readers that have recently added my story to their alerts: you guys make me smile! Welcome to the story, I hope I don't disappoint anyone. =)  


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_Gina, _

_By the time you receive this we will have been in Spain for nearly two weeks. The days have been boring and extremely long. Liam is nearly always busy and the boys have their new Spanish nanny to keep watch over them so I may attempt to socialize with the other woman of court, which insofar had been a complete and utter failure._

_I miss you terribly, my friend. I show Noah and Elijah the portrait you drew of the two of us every day so they do not forget the dearest of their two godmothers. They grow stronger and larger everyday; Noah pushed himself up with his arms just today, and Elijah has been able to roll from his stomach to his back and back again for a few days now. _

_When we return to England we are going to visit our estates in the North. Liam mentioned that we may ask you to accompany us when we do, so of course I will ask you now: Would you like to accompany your favorite family on a short progress upon our return? I am giving you the pretext of asking you, but in reality you do not have an option and I am quite sure that even if you did have one you would come with us. I am correct, am I not?_

_Send word of the English court soon; I will be living vicariously through you until court is no longer in session. _

_Sent with all of our love;_

_Liam, Sissy, Noah, and Elijah_

Gina smiled as she read the letter from Christina again. She missed her friend as well, and she had much to tell her. Telling her in a letter was not ideal, but she wanted her to know it all the same.

She sat at the small table in her room and began to write. After a few minutes she reviewed her work and scrunched her nose. Every way she could think to word her story sounded far too untrue to tell the woman that had treated her as if she were her own sister. She was sure that Christina would be able to see right through her, but she didn't want to tell her the truth. She couldn't afford someone reading it and thinking her insane. She shuddered at the thought and shook her head, not wanting to think about it.

Gina sighed and folded the letter before sealing it. She glanced around the room and her gaze settled on the two partially finished matching gowns stretched across her bed. She had been working on them when the letter had come, and she had dropped what she was doing to read the news from her friend. She had chosen a sky blue for Christina, only a few shades deeper than the color she had used for the Queen's dress, and a pale orange for her own dress.

Other fabrics were scattered about haphazardly. Bits of lace and spools of thread were heaped in piles on the desk; she had pushed them aside to respond to Christina's letter and as a result they were jumbled even more, ruining any semblance of organization.

Gina walked to the door where the same servant who brought her the letter was waiting. She held the letter out and gave him instructions to find a way to get it to Lady O'Connor as soon as was possible. He gave a nod of the head and took the letter before turning and disappearing down the corridor.

Gina closed her door and stared blankly at the mess yet again. She had planned on working on the dresses for a few hours but she didn't feel like it anymore. She wanted to talk to someone, but she was afraid that if she did she would say something or do something strange.

She had already caught herself nearly saying something that no one would understand: words and references to things that hadn't happened yet. She had taken to avoiding conversations altogether because although she was very accustomed to the way everyone else spoke she was finding it more and more difficult to avoid the slang that she now remembered using daily. The difference between the way she had grown up speaking and the vernacular used at court were quite literally centuries apart.

Gina shook her head and looked into the mirror that hung on the wall above the table she had been working at. Her hair had grown nearly five inches and had developed a bit of wave. She remembered that the reason she had cut it so short in the first place was so it would remain straight on its own, but now that it was growing out it was beginning to look more like the hair she had when she was younger.

She frowned at herself and briefly considered cutting it herself, but she quickly rid herself of that idea. No sense in making it worse- she had never been a cosmetologist. She was more interested in the clothing-aspect of fashion. With that thought she turned back to the dresses on her bed. She thought again that she should work on them, but she still didn't feel like it.

She glanced out the window and decided to find Kat. She thought that if she wasn't busy maybe she would take a few moments to walk with her in the snow. She grabbed her cloak and yanked the door open only to find one of the king's personal servants outside her door, about to knock.

"What is it?"

The man lowered his hand and cleared his throat.

"His majesty requests that you join him in his rooms at your nearest convenience. At what time are you available?"

She contemplated it to herself silently. If she went right away she might miss Kat's slow time before dinner preparations, but if she didn't go to see Henry right away she ran the risk that he would become too busy to see her. He obviously meant for her to see him right away or he wouldn't have sent anyone yet. She sighed and pulled her cloak on.

"Inform his majesty that I will be there shortly."

The man nodded his head.

"Very well, Lady Mohr."

Gina sighed again as he walked away. Every time someone said 'Lady Mohr' or 'Lady Gina' she had to work to keep from cringing. It was beyond annoying, but it was their way. She wasn't used to having people serve her; she had only recently acquired an assistant when she was in her own time and she hadn't even become accustomed to her. She wasn't even used to people acknowledging her for the most part. Her first show had been days before… well, before she wound up in the same woods as King Henry VIII.

She still had trouble with that. She knew that he hadn't done any of the things that made her the most nervous around him yet, but she also knew that he would. She couldn't do anything to change it though. If she even tried to change anything she could mess everything up. She knew that in a few years Henry would be introduced to his first Boleyn, and the rest of the story would continue as destined.

Anne would entice him and Catherine would be sent away to die alone. Poor Catherine… Gina had to admit to herself that she had always favored Anne Boleyn when reading Tudor history, but now having known Catherine for only a few short months her views had switched dramatically. She found herself hating someone who hadn't even done anything wrong yet, who hadn't even been introduced to the King.

Gina shook her head. Thinking about things that hadn't happened yet gave her a migraine, and she wanted a clear head when speaking to Henry. She didn't want to slip up and do something wrong.

For almost a week her mind had been made up about Henry, and she was sure that was what he would want to speak about. She pulled the door shut firmly behind her and, taking a deep breath, headed down the corridor toward Henry's rooms, silently preparing herself for the conversation that was about to occur.

* * *

Henry sat in front of the fire anxiously waiting for Gina. It had been about two weeks since she regained her memory, and he was ready to finally get an answer from her. If all went well he would have her in his bed by sunset. The thought of finally obtaining her excited him beyond belief.

A soft knock came from the door and he leapt from his chair to answer it. He knew it would be her and he could hardly wait to see her. They hadn't spoken in over a week, and it was driving him insane. He pulled the door open to see her glancing down the corridor.

"What are you looking at?"

She jumped a little and noticed that he had opened the door. She couldn't help but look him over as he stood framed by the doorway. He was the perfection that she remembered, and the smirk on his face made her blush. His eyes were dark as they ran the length of her as well before settling on her face. Her blush darkened as his smirk widened.

"Nothing, your majesty. I was thinking about something."

He stepped back and gestured for her to enter the room.

"Were you thinking anything of importance?"

She brushed past him and decided to play with him a little.

"Well, I'm insulted! Everything I think is important!"

Henry chuckled lightly as he shut the door behind her. He turned and walked toward her until they were less than a foot away from each other.

"Do you."

She nodded, her face serious, as she moved closer to him leaving a mere six inches between the two.

"Oh yes. Every thought I have is of the utmost importance."

He closed the gap, sliding his fingers slowly up her arm.

"What are you thinking about now?"

Her eyes fluttered as she enjoyed the slightly tickling sensation of his fingertips. She looked up at him with a straight face and told him very seriously.

"Kittens."

He burst into laughter and she grinned. She stepped back out of his reach and took the few steps to the chairs by the fireplace, settling into the one she had slept in so many months ago. He joined her, sitting in the chair opposite of hers.

"You are far too amusing for your own good, Lady Gina."

She shook her head and crossed her legs at the knees.

"I think I'm exactly amusing enough for my own good. If I weren't would you pay me any attention at all?"

She pretended to pout and he chucked again.

"Of course I would, but it would simply be lust."

She attempted to look mortified but failed. She giggled and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I am quite a catch, aren't I?"

They went on like that for a while, chatting and laughing until Henry turned the conversation in another direction.

"Lady Gina, have you given any more thought to my offer? I promise you, you would be well taken care of. You would have new rooms, new gowns, and new status. You would be second to no woman aside from the Queen herself."

Gina's smile faded and she looked down at her hands. If she were being completely honest, she had been thinking about it. A lot.

"I have been thinking about your offer. It's very… generous."

Henry looked puzzled.

"Does that mean you accept or that you decline? You make it sound as if it were an insult that I asked you. I thought you were past that."

Gina sighed.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. I said that wrong. It's very generous of you to offer all of that, but I don't need it. I want to be with you-"

He grinned widely and began to speak, but she held a hand up.

"I wasn't done yet, your majesty. I want to be with you, and I don't need those things. I have been feeling incredibly alone these past couple of weeks, and I've found myself more than once thinking about you and your… offer. I am sorry that I was so stubborn before, but it was a mixture of my love of the Queen and my uncertainties of my past that kept me from you before. I don't want to stay away from you. I don't think I can anymore…"

Henry grinned and held a hand out toward her. She stood and walked to him, taking his hand as soon as she was in arm's reach. He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I have been waiting for this from the first time I laid eyes on you."

She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes only inches from his face.

"I am amazing… I only hope I don't disappoint you after all of that waiting."

He tightened his hold on her, which brought her even closer to him.

"I'm sure you won't be a disappointment at all."

With that he closed the space between them and kissed her with the full power of his desire for her that he had kept bottled away for so long. She returned the kiss enthusiastically and after several moments pulled away, leaving them both gasping for breath.

Gina pushed her hair back out of her eyes and pulled out of his grasp, standing above him grinning. She held her hands out and he took them, standing as she backed away slowly. He pulled her in for another kiss and she eagerly responded, running her hands over his chest and back as he grasped her waist with one and threaded his fingers through her hair with the other.

When they separated again for air Gina grinned and glanced pointedly toward the door that led to his bedchamber. He raised an eyebrow and grinned as well. He swept her into her arms and carried her as she giggled through the door and to his bed.

* * *

**So... review and let me know if I should make the next chapter a lemon! This one was kind of short, but if I get positive reviews that lead me toward lemony goodness the next chapter will be a continuation of this one. Otherwise I'll continue with the storyline. I may write the lemon anyways and post it separately if more people are against it than for it, but that will just depend on you all, won't it? =) Review and let me know what you want!**


	15. Finally

**Here's the lemon that was requested; I hope it's sour enough! =D **

**Please remember that all similarities to Showtime's The Tudors belong to Showtime. Also, be aware that this chapter is not for those who prefer their lives to be lemon free... in other words, _anyone under the age of 17 and anyone who does not appreciate smut, please seriously consider skipping this one._**

**This chapter is devoted to the amazing reviewers that prompted me to light a fire under my ass and write it- here they are, the fantastic few... BrokenAngel1753, Sumi x3, InTiMaTeLoVeRfOrEvEr, Lady Christina O'Connor, and Raging Raven. You guys are awesome! Remember, any review is welcome, especially constructive criticism. Help me make this a better story for everyone and mention if something bothers you. I promise to become more aware of anything you may bring to my attention.**

**On with the story!**

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* * *

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Henry swept a giggling Gina into his bedchamber. Her giggles faded quickly as she stared into his eyes, which were dark with desire. The mood had changed from playful to serious in a hurry.

She threaded one hand into his hair at the back of his head and grasped his shoulder with the other as he shifted her in his arms. She watched him carefully trying to read the look in his eyes. This wasn't her first time with a man, but it was the first time any man she had been with had looked at her with such intensity. It was more than simple lust, but not a look of love; she realized with a start that it was obsession.

She hadn't realized how much he had wanted her. To be fair, she hadn't realized how much she had wanted him either, but the heat in his eyes showed that she had underestimated just how long he had been waiting for her. She recalled reading about how Henry had a habit of lusting after a large number of women and that he was rarely kept from having them for long. The only instances where he didn't get what he wanted immediately were…

Gina shook at the thought and had to look away from the man holding her for a moment. Henry took in her shudder and the way she looked away from him, looking slightly nervous, and came to his own conclusions. He rubbed his thumb in circles on the small of her back as he peppered kisses on every inch of her face and neck he could reach to calm her. Gina closed her eyes and enjoyed the attention and feel of her body in his arms.

She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly when he stopped. She whined in protest when he put her down, but quieted when he laid down next to her on the bed and propped himself up on one of his arms so he hovered slightly above her. Henry's eyes traveled down the length of her body as his hand stroked up her arm and across her shoulder. She smiled lightly when his fingertips brushed her collarbone, and had to stifle a small gasp when they ran across the top of her breasts teasingly before moving back to her collarbone and down her arm again.

Gina looked up at Henry, admiring the man she was laying in bed with. She thought back to the night before they had gone riding together and the way he had looked. It was enough to make her mouth water even then, and now she was finally with him. She reached up to lay the palm of her hand on his face and couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh. He grinned and moved his hand from her arm to her waist.

"What's so funny?"

Her hand rubbed up and down his arm absently as she watched him. His eyes were on hers as he grasped her tight, eliciting a small gasp and another giggle from her.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am to be with such a handsome man."

He laughed and leaned down for a kiss. She obliged and their tongues were tangling in a dance for dominance which she let him win after a few seconds. She grabbed his arm and pulled so he fell onto her. He groaned at the contact and their lips parted, leaving them both gasping for breath. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him back down hard, crushing their mouths together again with more force.

Gina moaned into his mouth when she felt him hard against her leg. The feel of him through their clothes was enough for her to want to tear his clothes off and beg him to take her. His thoughts seemed to echo hers as one of his hands moved to the ribbons holding her dress together above her breasts and the other moved to her thigh. Once he had her dress loose enough he moved his other hand to her thigh as well and flipped them so she was on top of him. He pulled her gown over her head and threw it to the side. She had come prepared for this, not wearing the underclothes that she preferred to wear with her gowns. She had never really taken to chemises, so she was now sitting on Henry wearing nothing but her necklace and the matching ring he had given her. He admired her, eyes lingering here and there. His hands roamed over her, lingering in the same places his eyes had.

She leaned down for a kiss, beginning at his mouth. She laid a kiss on his jaw, his neck, and his collarbone as she tore at his shirt, thinking he was wearing far too many clothes. She got his shirt off with a little help from him and kissed her way down his chest. When she reached his pants she licked a line along the edge, teasing him. She looked into his eyes as she untied his pants and slid them off, leaving him completely naked.

Her eyes traveled slowly down his body until they reached the part that she had been dreaming about. She grinned when she saw him, firm and long. She ran her fingers over him and was rewarded with a low moan. She smirked and looked up at him, waiting until she had eye contact before leaning in and licking a line from base to tip.

Henry moved under her, enjoying the feel of her tongue and mouth on him. There weren't many women at court who would take a man in their mouth, saying that it was an act better saved for a whore-house. After a few moments he pulled her up so she was hovering above him again. He rolled them over so he was above her again and kissed his way to her breasts, rolling one nipple in his mouth as he toyed with the other with his fingers. She moaned at the feeling and then gasped as she felt his other hand at her entrance.

He moved back up to her face and at the same time his finger and tongue entered her. She cried out into his mouth and her back arched as he stroked her, adding a finger after a few moments. His thumb brushed her in just the right spot and she cried out again, writhing under him as she felt her first release. His face hovered above hers and he watched her expression as he brought her a second time. He pulled his fingers out of her and replaced it with his member, rubbing against her entrance teasingly.

Gina gasped and arched up, pulling at him as she tried to get him inside of her. She looked at him with wild pleading eyes, begging him to enter her silently. He grinned and captured her mouth with his as he entered her hard, pushing in as far as he could. She nearly screamed in pleasure as he filled her, squirming as she stretched around him.

He pulled out until there was only an inch left inside her and waited until she whined in protest to slam himself back into her. He did that a few times, gradually picking up the pace until they found a steady pace. Sounds of flesh hitting flesh were drowned out by their cries of delight as they drew near to the end.

Henry picked up speed, slamming into her erratically until Gina was screaming with her second climax. Seconds after hers began so did his, and he came inside of her gasping and groaning. He moved inside of her until he was completely spent and they both collapsed in a heap, gasping for breath. He rolled them both over so she was laying on top of him and rubbed her back as she shook slightly from the tremors that were dying down.

Gina shifted so she was tucked under his arm, her leg draped over his, and cuddled up to him as he covered them with a sheet. He sleepily rubbed her back until they both fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

* * *

A few hours later Henry woke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. He groaned and looked down at Gina who was still sleeping soundly, head on his chest. He gently untangled himself from her and slid off the bed. He watched her as she grumbled lightly and burrowed into the bed, searching for the warmth that had been there moments before. He carefully pulled the blankets over her and placed a kiss on her head before locating his pants and shirt and pulling them on. He gave Gina one last glance before leaving the room.

Brandon was waiting for him in his sitting room, looking over some papers as he waited. When Henry entered Charles bowed briefly before taking in the state of his clothing. He grinned and looked over Henry's shoulder at the door before looking back to his friend.

"Who have you got today, my lord?"

Henry grinned and shook his head.

"Don't you worry about that, Charles. I would like to get back to her soon though, so what do you need?"

Brandon gestured to the papers scattered about on the table.

"Treaty from Spain just arrived. I was told that you would want to go over them as soon as possible."

Henry nodded and sighed. Both men sat at the table and began pouring over the papers, making comments every so often. After nearly two hours, Henry threw the last paper down and ran a hand through his hair. He pushed the pile at Charles and instructed him to take them to Wolsey. He settled back in his chair and debated waking Gina. He decided to let her sleep for a bit longer and settled back into his chair, picking up a pamphlet he had begun to read earlier that day.

* * *

Gina woke not long after Henry left the bed, confused and disoriented. She nearly panicked before remembering what had happened. She had never woken up in his bed before, and it was an odd sensation. She stretched and gasped, sore all over. It had been a while since she had last slept with anyone, and she was really feeling it. She sat up and looked around, hoping to see Henry in the room, but he was gone. She sighed and slid back down onto the bed.

She pulled the blankets over her until everything except her eyes and nose were covered and squeezed her eyes shut. Henry had left without saying anything, which worried her. Was he upset with her? Had she not been good enough? She thought about it and she was pretty sure that he had been happy when they fell asleep…

She obsessed over it for a few more minutes before reminding herself that he was the King of England, and that he couldn't just lay in bed all day. She rolled onto her stomach and pulled the blankets tight around her. She was still sleepy, and she didn't feel like getting out of bed. She drifted back to sleep with a small smile on her face, already dreaming about her lover.

* * *

Henry pushed his door open and entered the room quietly. He looked to his bed and saw Gina curled on her side facing away from the door. As he watched her she shifted, rolling to her back and stretching leaving one of her arms above her head on the pillow. The sheet shifted with her movements, sliding down her chest leaving the majority of it bare. The sight captivated him and he moved to the edge of the bed, taking in the display.

Gina felt Henry's eyes on her as she settled back on the bed after shifting positions. She had been awake when he opened the door but she wasn't ready to open her eyes just yet. She laid for a few minutes enjoying the attention before opening her eyes. He was standing above her with a look on his face that made her shiver. She reached a hand out to him, inviting him to join her on the bed but he shook his head.

"As much as I would like to, I cannot join you. I am expected in the Queen's chambers for supper and if I join you in bed I won't leave."

At the mention of the Queen all of the blood rushed out of Gina's face. She had received another request that very morning requesting that she join the Queen's ladies once more. She hadn't responded and she wasn't sure that she could face Catherine after sleeping with her husband. Her mind raced as she thought of excuses, but none of them had sounded right before and nothing had changed about that.

Henry watched as Gina's mind and breath raced. She had paled when he mentioned the Queen, which made him worry that she was feeling guilty again. He moved to the bed and sat down, pulling her to him and holding her close.

"I thought I told you to relax. Catherine knows that I take mistresses, we've spoken about this."

Gina nodded and allowed herself to be calmed down. She took a deep breath and cuddled into his arms. He chuckled and gently laid her back onto the bed.

"I told you, I won't leave if you keep that up."

She smiled wryly and slid off the bed.

"I know. I should go."

She scooped her dress off the floor and slipped it on, fastening it quickly. Henry watched as she straightened herself out and combed through her hair with her fingers. She turned back and closed the distance between them quickly, wrapping her arms around him. He held her to him for a second before giving her a departing kiss. She grinned as she pulled away and headed for the door. She gave him one more lingering gaze before darting out of the room.

* * *

Gina stood in front of the two dresses that lay waiting patiently to be completed. It seemed like a long time had passed since she had been working on them last and she was freshly energized. She made a few changes to the design as she worked on one, and in a little under three hours she had done a considerable amount of work. Another good three or four hours of work and they would be done. She set about the familiar task of sewing lace onto the bodice of one of the dresses as she thought back on the events of the day.

She was extremely satisfied with her choice, and she wouldn't change her mind for anything, but she still felt slightly guilty. The Queen kept asking her to join her household again and Gina kept putting off answering her. She had decided to decline officially that morning, but now that she was thinking about it again she realized that she was lonely. She wanted company other than Henry, especially because he was so busy that she could hardly expect him to keep her entertained for more than a few hours a day, and that was if she was lucky.

The other ladies hadn't been exactly friendly, but at least she would have company if she were one of the Queen's ladies. She knew she should go to her as soon as possible, but she was embarrassed to face her. She didn't know if she could keep from blushing or giving herself away. She didn't want Catherine to hate her; she had been so kind to her when she had nothing and didn't know who she really was.

She scrutinized her stitching and after a few moments nodded in approval. She put everything back onto the bed and examined the dresses. She still had the few hours of work left, but she wanted to go to the Queen's chambers to speak to her before the night's end. She collected the scraps and piled them away from the dresses before rushing out of her room and toward the Queen's chambers.

* * *

Gina sat in Catherine's sitting room with her, sipping a spiced wine that was almost too strong for her tastes. She listened to Catherine speak of her daughter Mary and prompted her to continue speaking every so often. After about twenty minutes of listening to her speak about her daughter and how she was progressing, the Queen turned the conversation around.

"Lady Gina, have you come to accept my offer to rejoin my ladies?"

Gina nodded and took another sip of wine to fortify herself.

"Yes, your majesty. As you know I will not be leaving England any time soon, and I cannot think of a better place to be than here with you."

Catherine nodded and gave Gina a smile.

"You are welcome back, Lady Mohr. We have missed your wit and amusing stories."

Gina blushed lightly and toyed with her sleeve.

"I've missed the company of other woman, to be honest. I've missed the bustle of your rooms."

Catherine nodded, distracted by the sound of someone at her door.

"Lady Gina, I am expecting the King for supper. We may speak more in the morning. For now go and have something to eat and get a good night's sleep. I expect to see you straight away in the morning."

Gina nodded and curtsied low.

"Thank you, your majesty. Have a pleasant evening."

Catherine nodded and waved her out of the room.

Gina left the Queen's rooms feeling quite proud of herself. She raced back to her room and threw herself into her work, excited for the next few weeks.


	16. Surprises Around Every Corner

**I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get another chapter up! I've been spending upwards of 40 hours a week in the lab working toward the largest event that we have each year profiting a woman's shelter. It went amazingly, but I was pretty much just working on tiny desserts and sleeping for the past few weeks.**

**Please remember that all similarities to Showtime's The Tudors belong to Showtime. Also, be aware that this chapter has a bit of unwanted forcefulness to it... I apologize. **

**This chapter is devoted to the amazing reviewers and the people who added my story to their watch list... they make me want to write! Here they are, the fantastic few... MrsPhantomSylvia, BrokenAngel1753, Sumi x3, InTiMaTeLoVeRfOrEvEr, Lady Christina O'Connor, and RachelGoesRawr. I love you guys!**

Henry roared with laughter as Gina pushed herself up off the stone floor with an indignant look on her face. She placed her hands on her hips attempting to look angry but was failing miserably; she was finding it rather difficult to look intimidating while completely naked.

She had woken that morning in Henry's bed to a look that never failed to excite her. As per usual that look led from one thing to another and Gina ended up on top of Henry, which somehow led to her being thrown off the bed to land on her back on the cold stone floor. In his defense, Henry had made sure that she was alright before he really began laughing, but he had been chuckling even while checking on her.

Gina huffed again, crossed her arms and waited until his laughter subsided before she stepped toward the bed, slowly unfolding her arms as she went. Henry watched her with an amused look on his face showing her that he wasn't afraid of the look she was giving him. She stopped at the edge of the bed and gave him another accusing glare.

"You threw me on the floor!"

He shook his head and propped himself up on his arm.

"I did no such thing. You fell off the bed on your own."

She pursed her lips, eyes narrowing.

"I did not! I absolutely recall being rolled over and dumped onto the ground."

He rolled his eyes at her antics and reached for her to pull her onto the bed. She moved just enough so he couldn't reach her and shook her head again. She rubbed her arms, the beginnings of bruises on her elbows stinging slightly, and felt a flash of anger rush through her. She didn't have to try as hard for the glare anymore.

Henry felt a change in mood from playful to angry, and it set him on edge immediately. He pushed himself off the bed and looked her over. She didn't seem to be hurt, which meant that she was overreacting. He reached for her again, attempting to remain calm. Gina's moods had been strange for a few weeks and he had learned that remaining calm was the best way to deal with her when one of those moods reared its ugly head. He had figured that out when she refused to see him for nearly a full week the last time he lost his temper around her for what she had deemed as no good reason.

He sighed and pulled her dress off the chair it was strewn across, holding it out to her. He knew nothing else would be happening that morning; all he could hope for now was to convince her to forgive him sooner rather than later. She glowered at him as she snatched her dress out of his grasp and dressed quickly, hugging her arms around herself as she looked out of one of the windows with her back to Henry. He moved toward her and cautiously touched her shoulder. When she didn't pull away he ran his hand up and down her arm, attempting to calm her.

She remained still for a few moments, but when the moments were over and she was still upset she turned from the window and just looked at him. His face was clear of emotion, which fired her up all over again.

"You aren't even going to apologize, are you?"

The question startled him and he froze. She shook her head disgustedly and pushed past him. He grabbed her arm to stop her and she twirled around and slapped him across the face. He dropped his hand stunned.

"Don't touch me."

Before he could respond to anything she had said or done she was gone. He groaned and lashed out at the first thing he saw, knocking several things to the floor before falling onto his mattress, not understanding how the day had progressed so quickly from a nearly perfect morning to laying alone in his bed again.

* * *

Gina ran out into the garden, trying to calm herself. Her heart was racing and she felt like she might be sick. She put a hand to her forehead and groaned. She was pretty sure she was running a fever, which might explain why she was so moody. She knew from memory that she didn't get sick often, but when she did it was bad. She remembered her mother saying once that her mood swings gave her whiplash, which she had rolled her eyes to. Her crazy mother would be a fan of the most obnoxious book series to be published in her time. Secretly she enjoyed reading them too, but she would never admit that out loud.

Thinking of her mother changed her mood yet again. She choked back a sob as she stared at the pond, thinking of the family that she was rapidly believing to be lost to her forever. She hadn't thought of finding a way home for a while, but she was seriously considering it now. She didn't know how she would do it but there had to be a way. The logical first step would be to find the spot in the woods where she had been found, although she wasn't sure if she should be wandering around alone that far from the castle. She didn't want to run into anyone in the woods but she would go alone if she had to.

Gina sighed and headed back inside. She was going to find Kat and commandeer her for the day; the kitchen would run fine without her. When she reached the kitchen she grabbed Kat's arm and unceremoniously dragged her through the door, telling her what they were going to do in one rushed breath.

Kat stared at Gina with a bewildered look on her face. Gina rolled her eyes, took a breath, and attempted to explain it a little slower.

"You're going to accompany me into the forest! I want to find the place where I fell out of the tree, where Henry found me."

Kat shook her head, confused. She didn't understand why Gina wanted her of all people to go into the forest with her.

"There's work to be done in the kitchen. Besides, if you want me to go with you to deter ruffians, it's not going to work. Two girls in the woods does not insure safety, it gives those men double the fun. Now either find a suitable escort to go with you or find something else to occupy your time."

Gina began to argue but Kat cut her off with a disparaging look and a wave of her hands before turning and disappearing into the kitchen, leaving Gina standing alone in the corridor. She huffed and glared at the closed door in front of her. She hadn't anticipated Kat refusing to go with her. She spun and stormed away from the kitchen. If Kat wouldn't go with her she would go on her own. She pushed her way out the nearest exit and towards the stables; she would have someone direct her from there.

She received the same sort of answer from the stable boy which managed to infuriate her more. It may have been because she didn't like a twelve year old ordering her around, but that was beside the point. She had ignored him and in the heat of the moment she had forgotten to requisition a horse. There was no going back to the stables for any favors now that she had told him exactly what he could do with his "advice", so she trudged into the forest alone, mumbling curses and nonsensical strings of words under her breath.

* * *

Almost two hours after entering the woods Gina admitted to herself that she was lost. She didn't know how she had managed it but she definitely had no idea where she was, which made her become more anxious than she had been when she stormed in. She spun in a circle, taking in her surroundings. She never had been one for deep-in-the-forest nature walks before and that hadn't suddenly changed. If she made it out of there in one piece she made a promise to herself that she would make an effort to familiarize herself with do's and don'ts of walking in the woods. She couldn't even remember which side of the tree moss was supposed to grow on!

She spotted a large rock ahead of her and sighed. She swore she had seen it before at least once, but this time she decided to sit on it and try to figure a way out of there. Her focus was no longer on finding the location of her arrival. She was tired and hungry and was no longer fueled by anger. She just wanted to get back to her room and sleep. Possibly for days. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but she was beginning to feel a bit annoyed with herself. She couldn't think of a legitimate reason to have behaved the way she had now that she was alone far away from the situations. She climbed onto the rock and crossed her legs, attempting to relax a little bit.

She had never been a person who enjoyed other people's company much in the past. She had run away from home, and even when she had reconciled with her parents she hadn't visited them more than holidays and special occasions. She lived alone. The only reason she went out to clubs was to showcase a line or for the publicity, and even then it wasn't usually because she wanted to. She had enjoyed Mike's company until he had become clingy, then she dropped him like last season's bag. Steve was a good neighbor and she enjoyed the rare conversations because they were just that. He was more of a reclusive mad scientist type anyways, and having him next door was more of a security thing than anything else.

She had never been as carefully watched or so constantly surrounded by so many people in her life, which was really saying something considering her line of work. She was sure that the Queen had people reporting her every move to her which was unnerving to say the least. She heard whispers in the halls as she hurried through them. Her only time to relax and not worry about what she did or said was when she was alone in her rooms, and even then she had to be sure that she closed her door tight and stuffed the crack at the bottom of it with cloth so no one would hear her when she sang to herself or spoke aloud about things that would make no sense to anyone aside from herself.

She sighed again and looked around. She was on the edge of a small clearing. Around the edges were the beginnings of new flowers and bright grass. The fresh smell of rain and the sound of birds twilling above her calmed her down and cleared her mind. She stood up on the rock, balancing on the very top of it. She smiled as she looked down. She was only a few feet off the ground, but it was still a sort of rush. She loved balancing on things, even if they weren't anything special. She turned slowly, looking for a way out of the woods that she hadn't noticed before. Nothing looked promising, but she had calmed down now. She told herself that she would find a way out, so she would and it was as simple as that.

She closed her eyes and jumped off the rock, landing on the ground with a solid thump. She grinned, feeling like a child again. She loved that feeling of falling. She had always wanted to go cliff diving in La Quebrada and Jamaica; now she wasn't so sure if that would ever happen. Maybe she could find a place in England…

She shook the thought from her head. Right now all she needed to think of was how she was going to get out of the woods. She was pretty sure that if she just began to walk to her left that, as long as she didn't veer off and go in a different direction that she would find her way eventually. There could only be so much forest; eventually she would find her way.

As she began to walk she let her mind wander again. The night before she had gone to Henry after a week of ignoring him for what she had deemed a completely legitimate reason at the time. Now she was realizing that she had maybe been a bit ridiculous.

The Queen had requested that she assist her one evening and she had been on her way to Catherine's quarters when a messenger had stopped her in the hall on her way with summons from Henry. She had instructed the man to tell the King that she was serving the Queen that night and that she would see him the following day, but Henry hadn't been very happy about that. He had sent someone to her rooms to wait for her and when she returned to her room exhausted from the cautious avoidance of anything that might remind Catherine that her husband was sleeping with her lady in waiting more than herself and trying to avoid any slips of the tongue that didn't match the current time she was greeted by someone with orders to bring her to Henry's rooms.

She had tried to tell the man in no uncertain terms that she would be going to bed, not traipsing about the castle on the King's whims, but he was instructed not to take no for an answer. When she reached Henry's rooms he had been furious, ranting about things that weren't making sense to her. He finally got to the part of his rant that included her and how she was to be there for him at any time that he desired, despite prior engagements and any other reason she could think of. He had kissed her forcefully and attempted to pull her to his bedchamber before noticing the red-hot glare she was giving him.

Gina had told Henry in the calmest voice that she could manage that she was not a possession for him to use as he pleased without regard for her well-being and that if he raised his voice to her again about a situation that she had no real control over that she would leave England and never look back. He had shot back with something about how she didn't have any one or where to run to and how he could find her anywhere she went anyways. She had run from his rooms then almost as fast as she had that morning.

The day after they argued he had gone to her room to try to speak to her but she wouldn't unlock the door. He had tried threatening, bribing, sweet-talking… she refused to answer to any of it, electing to stay in bed instead. When the Queen sent someone to find her to fill a spot for a card game she had told them that she was sick and that she couldn't go with them. To be fair, she had thrown up that morning when she woke, but she had attributed that to her nerves after the argument. She had gone on like that for nearly a week before Kat had come to find her.

Kat had been livid with her for holing up in her room for so long. She had discovered through one of the chambermaids that Gina hadn't left her room in nearly a week and that she hadn't been eating more than a little bread and drinking much at all. She had ripped her up one side and down the other, threatening to write Christina about it. Gina had unhappily agreed to leave her room again, and the next day she had gone to Henry to speak with him about the argument, but as soon as she got there and took one look at him she couldn't stop herself from launching into his arms. They had fallen into bed almost immediately and hadn't spoken about anything until that morning when she fell off the bed and stormed out again.

Gina heard a sound ahead of her which jolted her from her thoughts. She jumped a little before realizing that it was just a rabbit. She shook her head, wondering at her jumpiness.

"I think I'm going crazy… of course, there's no one around and I'm speaking aloud to myself…"

She sighed and glanced around. It seemed like the light got a little brighter up ahead, so she figured that she would keep walking that way and hope that it was the way out. She hurried through the trees and soon reached the edge of the forest once again. She didn't recognize the small cottage in front of her, but she figured that she could at least get directions back to the castle. She approached the small house quickly and knocked on the door.

* * *

Micah was polishing one of his knives when he heard a knock at the door. He visited the cottage in the woods as often as he could to hunt and plan. He had stayed there after O'Connor had interrupted him in Gina's room, worried that he would say something to the King. When the O'Connor's had left for Spain he had begun staying in the castle again, but about a week before he had relocated to his hiding place. He couldn't stop thinking about how close he had been to having Gina, but the King had her now. He was working on a plan to follow through with the events of that night in her room, but he had to be clever about it if he didn't want to be moved permanently out of England.

He stood, annoyed at the person knocking at the door. He thought that if he ignored it the person would leave but they were persistent. He pulled the door open and was shocked to find no other than Gina standing there, looking slightly disheveled. He watched as her eyes widened and her mouth opened in an "oh" of surprise. Micah grinned and looked her over, noting how appealing she looked even with a wrinkled gown and with her hair pulling out of it's knot at the back of her neck; in fact, she looked positively alluring. He couldn't help but think that this was a sign that he was meant to have her.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Lady Gina?"

She looked extremely uncomfortable as she glanced back toward the woods.

"Lord Crawely! I didn't expect to find you here… I was just, uh… I was just looking for… Kat! She came with me and she, umm… she told me to meet her here if we got separated! Is she here?"

He watched her look past him into the house and smirked at her obvious lie. No one was with her or she wouldn't be looking so frantic.

"Would you like to come in and wait for her?"

She shook her head.

"No, I think I'll just go on without her. I'm sure she'll figure it out."

He took a breath. If there was ever a time to take her, it would be now far away from the castle. He had to act fast.

"I insist. You shouldn't be wandering about without someone to accompany you."

She shook her head again, more fervently.

"I can take care of myself. I need to get back to the castle soon anyways; the King is expecting me."

He once more knew that she was lying. He had heard the rumors that the two hadn't been seen together for about as long as he had been away. Well, if he couldn't convince her to join him inside he would just have to find another way.

"If you're certain you don't want to come in to wait, I'll accompany you. A beautiful woman like you shouldn't be walking in the woods alone. I just need to get a couple of things and I'll be right back."

Gina watched as he turned and disappeared into the cottage. She took the opportunity to turn and run like hell. The last time they were alone the only thing that stopped him from forcing himself on her was the fact that Christina had sent Liam to check on her and he interrupted.

As she sprinted away she prayed that she was running in the right direction. The sun would be going down soon, and she didn't want to be lost in the woods after dusk.

Micah watched Gina disappear into the distance. She was headed in the general direction of the castle, but he was sure that he could beat her back. He was going to finish what he had started on the way back, but he would settle for waiting for her in her room again. It was fitting; finishing where he started. He set out on his way to the castle, not hurrying. He knew he would beat her back even without it.

* * *

Gina was frustrated to the point of tears. She had taken a wrong turn and had ended up back at the cottage. It didn't seem like there was anyone there, but she wanted to get away from it as quickly as possible. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The sky was darkening and she was beginning to break down. She sniffed and wiped her eyes as she trudged in a direction that she hoped would lead her home.

Almost an hour later she looked up to see the pond. She had found her way back! She burst into tears again, but this time they were tears of joy. She reached the door and pushed her way in, collapsing back against the door trying to stop shaking. She hated feeling like she was lost and she was so tired. She had been walking around all day, and she had never been one for walks like that, especially when she was worried that she was being followed by a man who attacked her. She just wanted to fall into bed and sleep for days.

She wiped her eyes once more and pushed off the wall. She sniffed and looked down at her dress, the bottom of which was covered in dirt and had a large chunk of it ripped off. She sighed and headed for her room. It had been a long day and she was ready for it to be over.

She pushed her way into her room and sighed in relief. She kicked the door shut behind her and tore her hair the rest of the way out of its knot, shaking it out and running a hand through it. She had her dress completely unbuttoned and halfway off before she heard a noise behind her. She jumped and spun around, pulling her gown back into place as quickly as she could. Her eyes widened and she gasped. Micah hadn't been in the cottage after all; he had beaten her back to her room and was waiting.

"Get out of here Crawley, before I call the guards."

This whole thing seemed to have a strong sense of déjà vu about it.

"Calm down, I was simply waiting to be sure that you made it back safely. I was worried that you had been abducted."

She took a deep breath and collected herself.

"As you can see I'm perfectly fine. Now if you don't mind, I would very much appreciate if you would leave now."

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Perhaps I wasn't completely honest with my intentions. I was thinking that we could continue the… conversation… that we were so rudely interrupted from the last time we were together."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"I don't think so."

He stepped toward her and tilted his head slightly.

"You say that as if it will change my mind."

She watched as he grew closer to her and she steeled her gaze. He wouldn't be touching her that night if she could help it.

"It should change your mind. What the hell is wrong with you?"

He raised one of his eyebrows.

"Such strong language for a lady."

She glared at him.

"There's more to come if you don't turn around and leave right now."

He grinned and ran a hand lightly up her arm and over her shoulder, toying with the edge of her dress.

"I don't believe that I care what sort of language comes out of your mouth. It's very… arousing actually."

She winced and pushed his arm off of her with a disgusted scoff.

"You are repugnant."

He grinned and grabbed her arms.

"You don't know the half of it."

He pinned her arms to her side and pressed his lips against hers. She turned her head away and attempted to wrench herself away from him but his grip was strong. He laughed as she glared at him, still wriggling around trying to escape.

"Let me go right now, or I swear…"

His eyes narrowed and he shook her.

"What? You'll do what? Run to your precious King? I don't believe that he'll care much. The two of you haven't been very close lately, have you?"

Her eyes were wide as she thought of it. After the way she had been acting, she actually wasn't sure if he would come running to her assistance. She was almost completely positive that she didn't deserve his help anyways and she had been set off by the littlest things for almost a month now.

"Oh my god…"

Micah misinterpreted that for a sound of excitement and moved one of his hands to her hair, clutching it and pulling her head back to expose her neck. He licked a line from the base of her neck to her ear, stopping to whisper in it.

"I knew you would come around."

She was still trying to work her way around the conclusion she had come to moments before to realize that he was pushing her down on her bed until he was on top of her, pulling at her skirts.

"Wait, no! Get off me, you oaf!"

He mumbled something into her neck and finally found his way up to her thighs. She shoved at him, angry that she had been so distracted. The thought had given her even more reason to get away from him, though. Her first shove had taken him by surprise and he toppled off the bed and onto the stone floor. She didn't take the time to appreciate the irony of the moment before leaping off her bed, resituating herself as she rushed for the door. She made it to the door and was yanking it open when she felt him behind her. He shoved the door closed and grabbed her, pulling her back into the room. She opened her mouth to scream but before she could he shoved her up against the wall hard.

"No! Let me go!"

She pushed him again and he stumbled back a couple of steps. It wasn't far but it was just enough room. She braced herself against the wall and kicked out at him as hard as she possibly could, making contact with the exact spot she was aiming for. He clutched himself and fell to the ground with a groan.

"You whore!"

She took her chance and kicked again, coming in contact with his nose at full force. He fell back with a scream, but she didn't pause to admire her handiwork before flinging her door open and sprinting out of it as quickly as she could.

She was running through the deserted halls of the palace. The normally bustling halls were devoid of anyone at this hour- there weren't even any servants, which was strange.

Her torn gown rustled against the stone, her footsteps louder than she had ever heard them. Her breathing was uneven, but she knew she couldn't stop. She didn't have much time; he wouldn't be down for long.

'_Once chance... once chance...' _

She finally came to the crossroad in the corridor that she had been searching for. They each led to a safe haven. One way led to the chapel and the other led to the royal bedchambers. Each led to a potential savior, but he could only be in one of the two. If she chose wrong she wouldn't live to see the morning.

She contemplated her choice and tried to catch her breath, figuring that she had at least a minute or so before she needed to start again. Faint shouts began from where she had come, and she knew her time was up. He was coming, and she had only a few seconds to decide.

'_Only one choice. Once choice, one chance.'_

Her eyes fluttered shut for a brief second before they snapped open. She took one final glance behind her then sprinted to the left. She sent up a silent prayer that she had made the right decision and pushed through the door to the King's bedchambers.

Even if she didn't deserve his help, she was going to go to him for it anyways. If her suspicions were correct, she hoped that he would forgive her for her mood swings and protect her.

She looked desperately around his sitting room and nearly cried out in despair to see that the room was empty. She heard the door open behind her and sighed in relief, expecting to turn and see Henry walking into the room. She turned and screamed in fear and frustration when she saw that the person standing in the doorway was the person that she had been running from.

* * *

Henry rounded the corner and was nearly to his rooms when he heard a scream coming from inside of them. He ran the last few steps and threw his door open just in time to see Lord Crawley slam Gina into a wall, his hands roaming her body. The only thing he could focus on was the look of terror on her tear-streaked face. He roared in indignation and strode across the room in anger, grabbing Crawley and throwing him off her.

He checked her over quickly, and when he was certain that she wasn't too hurt he rounded on Micah. He was beyond words as he loomed over the man seething in anger. Crawley backed away as quickly as he could, fear sparked in his eyes.

"Your majesty, I didn't realize that you were still… that you and she…"

Henry grabbed Micah by the shirt and pulled him to his feet, holding him a few inches from his face and uttered two words before releasing him.

"You're dead."

Crawley ran from the room as Henry called for guards. He was caught before he had a chance to get far and the guards were given instructions to take him to the dungeons. Henry was still seething with anger when he heard a whimper behind him. He spun to see that Gina had slid down the wall and was shaking. He hurried to her side and pulled her into his arms.

"He's gone, it's alright."

She sobbed into his shoulder and shook her head.

"It's not! You came in here and saved me again and I've been such a horrible person for the past few weeks! I don't deserve to be saved; you should have just left me to him!"

He looked at her with a bit of shock on his face.

"What are you talking about now?"

She buried her face into his shoulder again and wailed.

"You've been so great to me and I've been such a… a bitch!"

He chuckled and stood, pulling her gently up with him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, murmuring softly into her hair.

"Stop being so ridiculous, Gina."

She pulled back to look him in the eyes and shook her head.

"I'm not being ridiculous!"

He brushed a lock of hair out of her face and wiped a tear from her eye.

"What would have you saying something like that?"

She sniffed and shook her head, not wanting to say it out loud; if she did, it would be real, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that. He pulled her to a chair in front of the fire and sat down, pulling her down onto his lap.

"Tell me. I won't be angry."

She laid her head on his shoulder and nestled into his lab, taking comfort in the warmth of him.

"Thank you for saving me again."

He chuckled and stroked her hair gently.

"You aren't going to distract me. What's gotten you so worked up now? Crawley is gone, he won't ever touch you."

She shook her head and chuckled lightly, trying to calm herself down.

"I know he won't. I'm safe with you."

He kissed her head lightly.

"What is it then?"

She mumbled something into his shoulder.

"What did you say?"

She leaned back and took a deep breath, steeling her nerves.

"IthinkImightbepregnant."

He stared at her, visibly confused.

"Excuse me?"

She sighed and tried to say it a bit slower.

"I think that there's a chance that I might be… uh… w-with child."

They stared at each other with mixed looks of disbelief, fear, and surprise. She watched him in anticipation and prepared to flinch away from him.

"Say something."

* * *

**Once again, I'm so sorry for the long wait. I hope the length of the chapter makes up for it! I hope you liked the chapter; let me know! **


	17. Finding Comfort

Welcome and thank you to any and all newcomers to the story who have favorited or added this story to their story alert! I apologize to you all for the wait and for the short chapter; I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Gina sat nervously watching as Henry paced back and forth in front of the fire, processing the information that she was having trouble coming to terms with herself.

She hadn't known what to say when he had saved her yet again. There were so many thoughts running through her head in that moment but for some absurd reason that had been the thing that she had blurted out.

Henry stopped pacing and started at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. Gina squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze and lowered her eyes to look at her hands. Of course he wouldn't have wanted something like this; she certainly didn't.

She drew in a shuddering breath and broke the silence.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you, not like this."

Henry turned and looked into the fire for a second before responding.

"Are you certain?"

She stood and paced a few steps of her own while taking a few seconds to think back on it again. It had been two months since she had had her last period-just the week before she had slept with Henry the first time. She stopped next to the chair she had been sitting in before and ran a hand nervously over the top before answering.

"I think so. I've been sick in the morning, my moods have been changing from one thing to the next without any warning. Wasn't Catherine like this with Mary?"

Henry shrugged his shoulders and turned back to her.

"I didn't pay her any attention. I didn't hold much hope that she would even give birth to the child."

Gina's shook her head and sank back into the chair. Catherine deserved better than that. She had gone through so much and she had so much that she had yet to go through; it just wasn't fair that Henry would be so cold to her when it was Catherine who was going through the pain of losing a child over and over again. The only thing he wanted was a male heir; he didn't care about his wife's well being.

She couldn't sit still. She stood again, shaking slightly. Come to think of it, history had proven that he didn't actually care about any of the woman that he had slept with for long. Having his children never changed that.

She folded a hand over her still-flat stomach and was overcome with emotions that all hit her at once. She was angry that he was so callous toward the people that loved him. She was sad that Catherine had gone through what she was about to go through alone so many times. She was afraid that he was going to reject her, send her away and stop seeing her. She was terrified that Crawley would find her and try to hurt her and her unborn child again.

It was all too much. Everything that had happened that day, everything that had happened since she walked into Steve's apartment, it all hit her with an almost physical force and she felt like she had been slapped. She grasped the arm of the chair to steady herself as her knees buckled.

Henry rushed forward and caught her before she collapsed.

"Gina, sit down."

She grasped his arms and shook her head.

"No, I have to go. I have to leave."

He shook his head and sat her back in one of the chairs.

"What you need is to sit here and not move, do you understand me?"

She raised a shaking hand to her face and covered her eyes.

"I can't, I have to go, you have to let me go."

He pulled her hand away from her face and cupped her cheek with his other hand.

"What are you talking about? Where do you need to go?"

She avoided his eyes

"You just need to let me go."

He forced her to look at him and frowned.

"You aren't going anywhere. That's my child, possibly my son, and you will not be leaving with it."

She stared into his eyes quizzically.

"You want me to stay? Why?"

He looked shocked.

"I would never want you to leave, Gina. What would even make you think that I would?"

She looked down at her stomach again and shook her head.

"This is going to be a scandal. Why would you want me to be here in the midst of your court, causing trouble for you? The Queen will dismiss me from her ladies-she already suspects us if she doesn't know outright!"

Henry stood and pulled Gina out of her chair and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on her abdomen. He kissed the side of her head and she nestled into his lap, allowing herself to relax just a little.

"I don't care about any of that. I want you here with me. I want to take care of you and your changing moods. I believe that I've told you more than once that you are unlike any woman I have ever met; I want to see our child grow in you and when the time comes I want to hold it in my arms and see the life that we have created. I don't care that Catherine is suspicious of us. She has no true power over you and she will have nothing to say in the decision that I have made regarding you."

She smiled a little and covered his hands with hers.

"You... you want us here with you? Even if the child is another daughter?"

He hugged her tighter and snorted into her hair.

"A son would be preferred, of course, but as an illegitimate heir they would have no true claim to the throne either way."

She nodded and stretched her neck back to kiss his jaw.

"I don't care if our child has a claim to the throne. I'm sure that one day you will have the legitimate son that you desire to carry on your legacy when you are gone; be it male or female, this child will never have to carry that burden that you bear. I don't want that for my child."

He huffed and she shifted on his lap, turning to face him.

"I'm serious, Henry. You are such a strong man, a fierce leader, but I see the strain that this puts on you every day. You somehow balance everything, your wife, me, treaties and foreign wars, making sure that your subjects are provided for, maintaining the balance between the factions here at court... Only a truly strong man with the royal blood that courses through your veins could do the things you do so effortlessly. I'm your mistress, and I would be deceiving myself if I thought for a second that England would accept a bastard as a royal Prince or Princess."

Gina traced a line from his temple to his lips then down his throat before wrapping her arm around his neck and pulling herself up to his eye level.

"Henry, I know that you can't possibly feel the way about me that I feel about you, but you need to know that I love you. I have loved you for the longest time, since before I even knew that I loved you. This child inside of me only makes me love you more. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, Henry."

He pulled her into him, crushing her lips with his. The fire between them erupted and Gina couldn't tell which way was up when they were forced to separate to take in gulps of air. She shifted and groaned when she felt how hard he was for her. Her groan spurred him onward and he ripped her skirts the rest of the way, freeing her legs. He hooked one of her knees and pulled it over so she was straddling him on the seat, her heat pressed against his hardness.

She leaned forward and placed heated kisses from his collar bone to his ear as she released him from his pants and gave him a few precursory strokes. He growled and pushed her hand aside, situating himself at her entrance. She teasingly hovered just above him, eliciting another growl before he grasped her shoulder and thrust upward as he pushed her down, effectively burying himself deep inside of her tight heat. She threw her head back and moaned his name as she began to help him move in and out of her, riding him faster and faster. He tugged at the strings of her corset and was rewarded as she spilled out of her top, bouncing with every thrust. His mouth closed over one pink bud and she came undone, shouting out as she did.

Henry was far from done with her. He stood, still inside of her, and carried her toward his bedchambers, but they didn't make it quite that far. He stumbled and they slammed against the door. She gasped as she felt the cool wood behind her and he held her up, pinning her to it. He hooked one of her legs over his shoulder and held her up before plunging in and out of her again at an even faster pace than before. She screamed his name yet again as she came, but this time he was coming with her. He spilled inside of her, chest heaving, and carefully removed himself from her.

He stepped back as she attempted to steady herself, but it didn't work and she found herself falling forward into his arms. Her knees shook and she chuckled lightly.

"You're going to have to help me into that bed of yours, because I don't think I can walk on my own."

Henry scooped her off her feet and pushed through the door to his bedchamber. She snuggled into his shoulder and was fast asleep before they even reached the bed.

* * *

I'm so sorry that this chapter took this long to upload, and that it's so short. Starting just after my last update I began working. I was working two jobs and going to school all summer, and then at the end of the summer I picked up an internship. This fall quarter I was working, going to school, and working. Over Christmas break I was finishing up my internship, working, and preparing to move to Arizona. Now I've been in Arizona for three days and I'm looking for work. I had a few hours to write, and I have an update for you! Again, I'm so sorry. So, so, so sorry. Forgive me? Review? _Both?_


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